£8.6m tax fraud arrest in East Sussex (From The Argus)
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£8.6m tax fraud arrest in East Sussex
8:30pm Wednesday 13th February 2013 in News
A man has been arrested on suspicion of filing more than £8 million of fraudulent income tax forms.
The 26-year-old from East Sussex was arrested on Monday (February 11) as HM Revenue and Customs launched a crackdown on £90 million worth of tax cheats across the South East.
The arrested man was suspected of making a fraudulent Income Tax Self Assessment repayment claim to HMRC estimated at £8.6 million.
He was released on bail until March 12 while enquiries continue.
The arrest was not directly linked to the taskforce launched yesterday (February 12).
David Gauke, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: “This taskforce is targeting people who are not playing by the rules. Most of us pay what we should.
“We have made it clear that we will not tolerate tax evasion and will crack down on those who break the rules.
“HMRC is on track to collect more than £50 million as a result of taskforces launched in 2011-12.
“We expect over £90 million from this year’s taskforces.”
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Comments(8)
Brightonlad86
says...
6:50am Thu 14 Feb 13
Hoarder12345444 wrote:This will never happen. Those with money have power and influence.
Thats good, but why not also target the big companies that avoid paying tax, that has all gone quiet, is that happening? What about the rich people that squirrel away money in nice tax havens? When will the law change to stop this?
If something was done about it the big companies would shut up shop and trade elsewhere or hike up prices to cover their tax bills. So, either thousands of jobs are lost or we, the humble tax payer, end up paying more.
Cave Johnson
says...
8:30am Thu 14 Feb 13
Tallywhacker
says...
11:10am Thu 14 Feb 13
Brightonlad86 wrote:I don't think the big companies would leave. It would be a case of..."in my left hand I am holding nothing and in my right hand I have £1 million pounds. Your choice is you can have everything in my left hand or you can have £700,000 from my right hand." So which hand would a company CEO take? No responsible company would leave and make zero profits when they could stay and still make money and they couldn't raise their prices as that would make them less competitive. We should stop bowing down and just say you want to do business here you pay this or go somewhere else. If they did leave local business would take up the slack and fill the empty niche.
Hoarder12345444 wrote:This will never happen. Those with money have power and influence.
Thats good, but why not also target the big companies that avoid paying tax, that has all gone quiet, is that happening? What about the rich people that squirrel away money in nice tax havens? When will the law change to stop this?
If something was done about it the big companies would shut up shop and trade elsewhere or hike up prices to cover their tax bills. So, either thousands of jobs are lost or we, the humble tax payer, end up paying more.
Tailgaters Anonymous
says...
11:27am Thu 14 Feb 13
If said individual had succeeded with what is alleged to be fraudulent claims to the value of £8.6m the rest of us law-abiding tax-payers would have had to absorb the loss.
I know where my vote is!!
Tallywhacker
says...
12:46pm Thu 14 Feb 13
Tailgaters Anonymous wrote:Well seeing as you've asked...first he was stupid. Anyone who makes a self assessment of £8.6 million thinking the HMRC will not have a good look is by definition a numbskull, with that amount an accountant would be used. Second he was intending to defraud not avoid. Tax avoidance isn't against the law but defrauding is so good on the HMRC and hope he enjoys his time of rest inside if found guilty.
So the assembled company above think the arrest is a good thing or a bad thing?
If said individual had succeeded with what is alleged to be fraudulent claims to the value of £8.6m the rest of us law-abiding tax-payers would have had to absorb the loss.
I know where my vote is!!
Skidrow
says...
1:15pm Thu 14 Feb 13
"The arrest was not directly linked to the taskforce launched yesterday (February 12).
David Gauke, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: “This taskforce is targeting people who are not playing by the rules"
Glad he's got his finger on the pulse.
Hoarder12345444
says...
1:30pm Thu 14 Feb 13
Skidrow wrote:Yes, so that surely means some key high earners in the UK and some politicians hope he is targeting them as well!!
Good old David Gauke.
"The arrest was not directly linked to the taskforce launched yesterday (February 12).
David Gauke, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: “This taskforce is targeting people who are not playing by the rules"
Glad he's got his finger on the pulse.
Hoarder12345444 says...
11:07pm Wed 13 Feb 13