Commenting on HMRC's announcement on 23 February that it will create thirty new tax evasion task forces, Derek Scott, director of Tax Investigations at KPMG in the UK, said:
“This latest announcement shows that it really is 'gloves off' on dealing with tax dodgers where HMRC is concerned. Anyone with tax irregularities needs to sort them out extremely urgently and it is always better to come forward rather than wait to be found out.
“This announcement and the recently launched ‘Contractual Disclosure Facility’ for investigating suspected tax fraud shows HMRC's increasing desire to clamp down on deliberate tax evaders.
“The tax authorities also have a dedicated disclosure scheme involving undisclosed assets held offshore (the Liechtenstein Disclosure Facility) running at the moment that could, in certain circumstances, be the best way to proceed.
“Anyone with a tax disclosure to make should seek specialist professional advice.”
Information on making a disclosure is available on the HMRC website and on KPMG’s Tax Investigations website.
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