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  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many courts cases HM Revenue and Customs has initiated for tax abuse under the General Anti-Abuse Rule since its introduction; and how many people or companies found to have committed tax abuse under this Rule have been charged penalties.

    Mr David Gauke

    The General Anti-Abuse Rule (GAAR) was introduced in July 2013, and only applies to abusive tax arrangements entered into from this date.

    This means that it will first apply to income tax returns for the tax year ending 5 April 2014, which must have been filed with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) by 31 January 2015. For corporation tax, returns are based on a company’s accounting period so, for example, returns for accounting periods ending 30 September 2013 have to be submitted to HMRC by the end of September 2014.

    For cases to be tackled by the GAAR, HMRC must first enquire into tax returns once they are received, and gather all relevant facts. It is therefore early in the process of litigation action for cases to be tackled by the GAAR.

    Nonetheless, the Government is committed to continually deterring the persistent minority from engaging in tax avoidance. As announced at Autumn Statement 2015, a penalty of 60% of the tax due for all cases tackled by the GAAR will be introduced in Finance Bill 2016.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average time taken is by (a) Concentrix and (b) HM Revenue and Customs to process each tax credit claim adjustment; and what guidance there is in Concentrix’s contract on how long it should take to process each tax credit claim adjustment.

    Mr David Gauke

    The average time taken by Concentrix to carry out a tax credit intervention – from writing to the claimant, receiving and investigating any response, through to closing the case and making any adjustment to the award – is 91 days. The average time taken by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is 64 days, but the figures are not comparable because the profiles of cases worked by Concentrix and by HMRC are different.

    Concentrix are required under their contract with HMRC to complete 80% of High Risk Change of Circumstances interventions (these are a subset of Concentrix’s caseload consisting of the highest risk cases) within 75 days and 100% of such cases within 90 days. So far in 2015/16 they have closed 95.5% of these interventions within 75 days.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to maintain current levels of funding for the National Illegal Money Lending Team.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government is looking at a range of ways to ensure that the England and Wales Illegal Money Lending Teams have the funding they need to ensure that consumers continue to be protected from illegal loan sharks.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value of trade between the UK and Switzerland was in (a) 2014 and (b) 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The UK had a trade surplus with Switzerland in 2014 of £10.3bn. The value of total UK exports to Switzerland in 2014 was £21.6bn, and the value of UK imports from Switzerland was £11.3bn.

    Latest available data for 2015 shows that the UK had a trade surplus of £5.6bn with Switzerland in the first three quarters of 2015, with total exports of £14.4bn and imports of £8.9bn.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the (a) potential effect on the UK economy of the decision by the US Federal Reserve to raise US interest rates and (b) potential effect of this decision on interest rates in the UK.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Higher US interest rates are a sign of confidence in the US economy, whose strong recovery has supported demand as the world’s largest economy and UK’s closest economic and financial partner. The UK’s monetary policy framework, set out in the Bank of England Act 1998, gives operational responsibility for monetary policy to the independent Monetary Policy Committee. Decisions on setting Bank Rate are for the judgement of the MPC.

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-01-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will increase the budget for IT contractors employed by HM Revenue and Customs.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government is investing £1.3bn to transform HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) into one of the most digitally advanced tax administrations in the world. Along with other changes, this will enable HMRC to transition to a new IT delivery model following the ending of the Aspire contract. Through these changes, HMRC will be able to make savings on its annual IT budget.

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-01-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much HM Revenue and Customs spent on IT contractors in 2015.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs’ financial management systems do not hold the information requested because all costs relating to IT Contractors are classed within the generic value for IT Services and Project Development, so individual contractor costs are not identified separately.

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-01-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many IT contractors were employed by HM Revenue and Customs on a self-employed basis in 2015.

    Mr David Gauke

    There were no IT contractors employed on a self-employed basis in 2015.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) average and (b) contractually-specified maximum length of time is that a claimant has to wait for their complaint to be resolved by Concentrix.

    Mr David Gauke

    Concentrix are obliged under their contract with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to respond to complaints which relate to the quality of their handling of compliance interventions, as distinct from complaints on the substance of these investigations which are dealt with by HMRC.

    Their contract requires them to respond 80% of these complaints within 15 working days; and to reply to 100% of complaints within 40 working days. So far during 2015/16, Concentrix have received eight complaints. They replied to six of these (75%) within 15 days and seven (87.5%) within 40 days.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to increase the affordability of homes in the Greater London area for people under the age of 30.

    Greg Hands

    The Government is committed to making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. At the Spending Review the Government announced a series of measures which will help people under 30 in Greater London and elsewhere become homeowners.

    These include plans to deliver 200,000 Starter Homes to be sold at a 20% discount to first time buyers under 40 and 135,000 Help to Buy: Shared Ownership homes. Government also announced that it will introduce London Help to Buy, increasing the value of Help to Buy equity loans in London to 40% from 25%, as well as extending the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme for a further year to 2021. These schemes are also supported by the recently launched Help to Buy: ISA, through which the Government tops up mortgage deposit savings for first time buyers by up to £3,000.