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The Inland Revenue collects over £200 billion a year in tax and National Insurance contributions from 30 million taxpayers, ranging from individuals to multinational corporations. The total amount of debt from unpaid taxes stood at £12 billion at the end of March 2004, of which £3 billion was more than a year old. Following on from a NAO report (HCP 363, session 2003-04; ISBN 0102927596) published in March 2004, the Committee has examined the progress made by the Inland Revenue to speed up debt recovery, whether more can be done to encourage prompt payment and the application of good practice in debt management. Findings include that the Department should impose a surcharge on persistent late payers; use other government departmental records to find taxpayers it cannot trace; seek additional powers for enforcing debts similar to those of other tax authorities; and include debt management data in its performance measures.
The Inland Revenue faces various risks of fraud in its activities to collect direct taxes and national insurance contributions, and to distribute tax credits to claimants on low incomes. Following on from a National Audit Office report (HCP 429 2002-03, ISBN 010292077X), the Committee's report examines the Department's progress in its risk assessment of non-compliance, strategies being developed to counter it, measures taken to tackle tax fraud and fraud in tax credits, and their use of sanctions and publicity to deter fraud. Findings include that the Inland Revenue needs to focus work on making a reasonable estimate of the gap between full and actual compliance with tax rules, and to set a date for publication of their revised compliance strategy. They should also increase the number of fraud investigations and prosecutions undertaken, and seek to raise public awareness about the risk of detection and punishment for those who commit fraud.