The exchequer secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke, announced the figure at the first HM Revenue & Customs Stakeholder Conference in London yesterday.
Speaking at the conference, Gauke said: “Today I can announce that HMRC has topped £1bn this year in court wins against corporate tax avoidance, following a judgment worth almost £88m, involving a company called Vocalspruce and a scheme promoted by Price Waterhouse Coopers.”
HMRC said the Vocalspruce court victory delivered more that £62m into the UK’s coffers, as other users of the failed scheme also settled up and has major implications for 43 similar cases, protecting more than £87m.
These are complex, intricate schemes and without the technical skills, resources and sheer commitment of HMRC’s specialists they would go unchallenged, costing the country billions of pounds every year.
“The message coming out of these cases is clear – entering into a tax avoidance scheme can be complex, expensive and self defeating, and the taxpayer can even end up paying more than the original bill.
“The government has invested nearly £1bn in HMRC to come down hard on avoidance, evasion and fraud and they will continue to challenge abuses like this wherever they find them.”
The UK coalition government has been clamping down on tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance by companies and individuals for some years now. Click here to read about plans announced in the Budget earlier this year.
