HMRC “sweetheart” deals

HMRC has issued an interesting press release stating that ‘Fact: HMRC does not do ‘sweetheart deals’. HMRC makes sure every taxpayer, no matter what their size, pays everything they owe.’

This denial could be in response to many claims that have been made over the years in Parliament and the press suggesting that HMRC offers better settlement terms when dealing with certain taxpayers (usually the largest UK businesses and multinationals). HMRC refutes these claims saying they seek to collect the right amount of tax due under UK law and that they make sure every taxpayer, no matter what their size, pays everything they owe.

The press release also states that at any given time HMRC has around half of the UK’s 2,000 largest businesses under investigation. This compares with around one in ten small businesses. This rate of investigation is because the largest companies often pose the biggest tax risks. 

HMRC has also said that robust measures were put in place to control error and fraud in the key coronavirus support schemes and that HMRC's customer service has not been impacted by staff working from home during the pandemic.