HMRC nudge letters
HMRC continues to fight the good fight in its quest to cut down on tax avoidance and have recently been issuing further “nudge” letters to taxpayers who may have an income source or assets producing gains overseas and consequently an undisclosed outstanding UK tax liability. The letter reminds the taxpayer that HMRC have visibility on overseas income or gains via their network of global information exchange and the onus is on the taxpayer to regularise their tax affairs. Unforced disclosure will result in reduced penalties for non-compliance.
Batches of these letters are being sent out weekly by HMRC and ultimately thousands are expected to be issued. Some letters are accompanied by a certificate whereby the taxpayer can state that his tax position is up to date and all in order or that he needs to make a disclosure. Taxpayers need to ensure that they fully understand the statement they are making and the repercussions of making an inaccurate or incomplete statement before they return the form.
Changes have been made to the original wording of the letter but it still directs those who need to make a disclosure to the Worldwide Disclosure Facility which may not be appropriate in all cases, particularly as it does not offer protection or assurances against criminal investigation.
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Increased Investment in Personal Tax Compliance in the UK (Published in Thought Leaders 4 Private Client)
Advances in technology and increased international fiscal co-operation have made global personal tax compliance initiatives pop up in abundance in recent years. To compound the issue, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the corresponding economic fallout prompted domestic governments to increase transparency in relation to investments held by wealthy foreign individuals (with a focus on oligarchs).
In the UK, in the context of the cost-of-living crisis, public opinion certainly seems to be in favour of increased accountability for high-net-worth individuals (eg, on 9 October 2022, 63% of Britons surveyed thought that “the rich are not paying enough and their taxes should be increased”).1
HMRC is one of the most sophisticated tax collection authorities in the world and the department is making significant investments in technology in the field of compliance work; they are well placed to take advantage of new international efforts to increase tax compliance, particularly considering the already extensive network of 130 bilateral tax treaties in the UK (the largest in the world).2 The UK was also a founding member of the OECD’s Joint International Taskforce on Shared Intelligence and Collaboration (JITSIC) forum.
This article discusses the main developments in support of the increased focus on international transparency and personal tax compliance in the UK. There are other international fiscal initiatives, particularly in the field of corporate taxation, but such initiatives are beyond the scope of this article.
It should be noted that a somewhat piecemeal approach, with constant tinkering makes compliance difficult for the taxpayer and is often criticised for lacking the certainty that a stable tax system needs to thrive.
This article was first published with ThoughtLeaders4 Private Client Magazine
