Hmrc tax gap. which includes the final estimate for the 2021/22 VAT gap.
Hmrc tax gap Large businesses, by contrast, are attributed 11% (£4. Jun 20, 2024 · The tax gap is the difference between what HMRC expects the total tax take for 2022/23 to be, and the actual tax received. Please note these are official statistics. VAT Jun 20, 2024 · The HMRC Tax Gap figures arehere. According to HMRC, the report, published annually, shows a long-term What is the “tax gap”? The “tax gap” refers to the difference between HMRC’s expected tax revenue and the total tax actually received from UK individuals and businesses. Apr 8, 2024 · We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. 3% Apr 19, 2024 · The "tax gap" is the difference between the amount of tax that is owed and the amount of tax that is actually collected by HMRC. It now estimates the tax gap reduced Jan 22, 2025 · Reducing the tax gap. The figure will be around £33 billion, simply because ever since this data was first published in 2010 the tax gap has never been below £27 billion and has never gone above £35 billion. These tax debts are reflected in Sep 27, 2021 · The tax gap is (in HMRC’s view) all tax that should be paid, but is lost - to error, tax avoidance, criminality, or differences in legal interpretation. 7 billion – that is, the tax gap remaining after HMRC compliance activity. The vast majority already do. Only two other countries have published an analysis of their tax gaps, the United States (estimated direct tax gap of 14% in 2001) and Sweden (first estimated total tax gap of 8% in 2000, now around 10%). 8 billion, or 4. It is estimated that in 2019/20 the financial loss from tax avoidance was £1. 5 billion extra a year to spend on public services by beefing up HMRC to crack down on tax evasion, avoidance and other unpaid taxes. However, in real terms the tax gap has The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. Alongside errors, on a case by case basis these discrepancies may appear relatively small, but the numbers of Aug 21, 2024 · The tax gap is the difference between taxes collected by HMRC and the theoretical amount that should have been collected. 1 per cent in 2019-20, though it had Oct 30, 2024 · The government will take further steps to close the offshore tax gap by increasing the amount of offshore data available to HMRC, ensuring that tax is paid on AEOI income, and providing additional Aug 22, 2022 · The tax gap is the estimated difference between the amount of tax that should in theory be paid to HMRC and what is actually paid. 8 billion in 22-23. Not everyone agrees with HMRC’s estimate of the tax gap. The tax gap is estimated to be 4. 7%, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) confirmed today (9 July 2020). Tax gaps: Summary. 7 billion) and the wealthy 5% (£1. 7bn in 2020-21) and taxpayers failing to take reasonable care (£10. HMRC most recently published its annual estimate of the tax gap in June 2023, which indicated that the tax gap “remained at an all-time low of 4. The latest HMRC estimates of non-compliance are £32bn for 2020-2021, or 5. 9% in tax year 2022 to 2023. 3 billion) in 2021-22, the latest year available. Spreadsheets: the source of the issue It’s this widespread use of bridging software and the inertia to move on from it that has proven to be a major contributor to the VAT gap because it has led to a continued Jun 19, 2019 · I gather HMRC will be publishing their latest tax gap figures this week. Between April In the same period, more than 1. 8% of all tax liabilities, equivalent to £35. 8 billion, according to the latest figures from HMRC. 1 billion in 2021–22 to £39. HMRC maintained this represents "one of the lowest tax gaps in the world," adding that they are "prioritising closing it further. What is the tax gap? The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax due to the Exchequer and the amount actually collected . Richard Murphy, who wrote the attached report, also looks at the impact of staffing cuts in HMRC on the tax gap. Jul 1, 2024 · The UK tax gap has reached a record high of £39. The Autumn Budget unveiled an ambitious package of measures to close the tax gap (read our Jun 28, 2024 · The quantum of the tax gap is entirely hypothetical, yet it poses a significant challenge to the nation's fiscal health and HMRC. May 23, 2022 · HMRC reported in June 2019 the total tax gap at £31 billion for 2018/19, representing 4. 8 per cent of total theoretical tax liabilities (equivalent to 1. 5 The breakdown by behaviour shows carelessness (“failure to take reasonable care”) is the largest single element of the tax gap. First of all I can confirm that the deadline to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for certain tax years has been extended from 05/04/2023 to 31/07/2023. Around 20 professional analysts work on Jun 23, 2022 · HMRC was advised to put together these estimates by the International Monetary Fund when it last reviewed the HMRC Tax Gap methodology in 2013 – HMRC has not implemented this recommendation. Jul 15, 2022 · “Accurate estimation of the offshore tax gap will require HMRC to match CRS data to individual income tax data. Today’s HMRC report 1 looks at the estimated tax gap in 2021-22, but also revises some figures for earlier years. The estimated total tax gap in Nov 30, 2022 · HMRC’s illustrative estimates of the tax gap by taxpayer behaviour show that around £1. Feb 12, 2025 · The tax authority highlighted that the UK's tax gap - the difference between tax owed and actually paid - stands at 4. Jun 24, 2024 · HMRC has published its annual 'tax gap' figures for 2022/23, showing the gap at a GBP39. 7bn in 2021-22, up from £8 Jun 24, 2022 · HMRC confirmed that at 5. 2018 to 2019 ' to the Jun 22, 2023 · HMRC is the only tax authority in the world that measures and publishes an annual tax gap in such a comprehensive way – covering a single tax year for all the taxes, levies and duties it The tax gap and compliance yield – what they are and how they relate Summary The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be collected by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) against what is actually collected. 8-billion record high in cash terms. 1%, the tax gap is the same as the previous year, continuing the downward trend since the peak of 7. 3% of total theoretical tax liabilities, with an associated point estimate of £35 billion – this means in 2019 to 2020, HMRC secured 94. in any given year. 3% between 2005 to 2006 and 2011 to 2012. The last are here. Yesterday's HMRC report 1 looks at the estimated tax gap in 2022-23, but also revises some figures for earlier years. Throughout the tax year running from 2018 to 2019, the total cost of tax avoidance came to approximately £1. 8% of the total tax which is thought to be due for the tax year. 2% in 2005 to 2006 to 1. Richard Murphy, who runs the website Tax Research UK, estimated that the tax gap would be £122 billion in in 2014/15. 4% and 84. Sep 12, 2024 · A new report shows HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has slashed the tax gap on illicit cigarettes and tobacco by more than half since 2005. As a result, HMRC’s “Tax Gap” vastly underestimates the scale of the issue, and can not be Oct 24, 2024 · Tax gap reporting has always been done after accounting for the yield raised by HMRC compliance activities. In the latest published data, for the 2021-22 tax year , the tax gap was recorded as £35. Apr 11, 2024 · On 8 April 2024, the Labour Party unveiled its plans for closing the tax gap. 3% of total tax liabilities. Share this page The following links open in a new tab Sep 26, 2024 · Tax gap. 2 The tax gap and the corporate income tax (CIT) system This section briefly reviews the tax gap analysis of HMRC as in its most recent presented publication (HMRC 2019b). 8 billion in 2021-22. Mar 21, 2025 · The Stamp Duty Land Tax gap has reduced from 3. 43 HMRC told us that it will be gradually reintegrating staff from COVID-19 work to tax compliance between April and September 2023. 1 Other Mar 21, 2025 · HMRC only publishes a revised historical VAT gap series once a year in the ‘Measuring tax gaps’ publication. In 2005 HMRC had 92,000 staff. Jul 22, 2020 · The “tax gap” is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. 7 billion. 8% of the total theoretical tax liabilities. 8 billion; HMRC Sep 23, 2024 · This is part of HMRC’s plans to recruit an additional 5,000 compliance staff to help close the tax gap. 3 days ago · The “tax gap” is the difference between the amount of tax owed and the amount of tax collected. 7% of Mar 21, 2025 · There has been a reduction in the cigarettes duty gap estimate as a proportion of theoretical cigarettes duty liability, from 16. 8% of the total tax owed, the same figure as the previous year, according to HMRC’s latest Tax Gap report. . Jul 5, 2024 · The latest tax gap figures published by HMRC for the 2022/23 tax year showed a tax gap of £39. 7bn in 2021-22, up from £3. 8bn. This is the same gap as a percentage as seen in last year’s publication covering 2019-2020. 0% in 2022 to 2023. Both Mike and Bill have been appointed board members by the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs for a fixed term of one year in Apr 9, 2024 · Citing HMRC figures, Labour said the gap between the amount of tax owed and what the government actually collects stood at £36bn in 2021/22. Tax gaps: Excise (including alcohol, tobacco See full list on gov. 44 It also told HMRC’s 2024 Tax Gap report: Amount of tax going unpaid hits record high at £39. Today’s HMRC report1 looks at the estimated tax gap in 2020-21, but also revises some figures for earlier years. The UK Direct Tax Gap and Under-Declared Income HMRC Tax Gap Estimates HMRC estimates a tax gap for different components of the tax gap and adds these together to give a total tax gap for direct taxes, indirect taxes and all taxes (Measuring Tax Gaps 2010). 8% of total theoretical Mar 17, 2025 · His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates that the tax gap—the difference between the amount the government collects in tax revenue and the amount it should in theory collect—in the 2022/23 financial year was £39. Feb 28, 2023 · Hi set7755, I am sorry to hear that you have been unable to speak to an advisor at HMRC. 1 billion) in 2022/23 (up from 44% in 2018/19). Jul 1, 2024 · HMRC’s latest tax gap publication. 5 billion, while the cost of tax evasion was £5. In particular, HMRC’s measure of the tax gap includes transactions which courts find to be compliant with the law. 8bn, representing 4. 8% of total theoretical liabilities (£739. The latest year for which figures are available is 2022/23. The Government’s tax strategy includes measures to reduce it further. In 2019 HMRC reported that the tax gap had increased to £35 billion or 5. It consists of several components including at one end taxpayers simply getting things wrong, to more targeted tax evasion, tax avoidance, and the hidden economy. Their share has been consistently increasing over the last few years, from a low of 38% in 2016-17. HMRC has also noted that the tax gap for 2020/21 will be revised in the summer of 2023 when ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2023’ is published. Tax year: Oct 5, 2021 · In light of HMRC’s annual tax gap report, Anthony Lampard, director at Andersen LLP, examines the latest figures and asks whether HMRC can really close the gap, in Accountancy Daily. 7 billion) (see figure 1. Jun 5, 2024 · Learn what the tax gap is, how it is calculated, and what the parties are promising to reduce it. 11 Dec 21, 2021 · the UK tax gap in 2019 to 2020 is estimated to be 5. Dec 27, 2023 · The VAT “tax gap” — the difference between the amount of tax that HMRC estimates it should collect and what is actually paid — was estimated by the agency to be £7. Apr 1, 2022 · HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) produces estimates of the tax gap—the tax revenue HMRC should receive but does not. 7% in November. 8 billion ‘tax gap’ between what is owed and the amount actually collected (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Wire David Hughes 22 September 2024 Jun 20, 2019 · Commenting on the release of the new Tax Gap figures, George Turner, Director of Tax Watch said: “Once again HMRC has released an estimate of tax avoidance which does not include the billions lost to multinational companies via profit shifting. 2. Our mission is to ensure that everyone in the UK benefits from a Feb 12, 2025 · HMRC is committed to reducing the tax gap, of which the hidden economy accounted for about £2. Jan 17, 2025 · His comments came at a Treasury Select Committee session this week, when he was asked about HMRC's work to reduce the so-called "tax gap", which stood at just under £40bn in 2022-23 and represented 4. HMRC has suffered enormous cuts to its budget over the last ten years, and the perception that despite these cuts HMRC still manages to keep the Tax Gap as one of the “lowest in the world”, means the case for investment is not made. As a percentage of total taxes, the gap has been declining in recent years. In its place we now have call Jul 7, 2024 · Pressure on HMRC to estimate the offshore tax gap has been mounting since September 2021, when HMRC disclosed to Tax Policy Associates that UK taxpayers held nearly £570bn in tax havens. The government has announced what it calls the most ambitious ever package to close the tax gap - the gap Jun 28, 2023 · The tax gap is the difference between what HMRC expects the total tax take for 2021/22 to be, and the actual tax received. It was also 5. In the last financial year, 2018-19, it collected 90% of the tax owed through this “voluntary compliance” and payment of Jul 31, 2024 · In June, HM Revenue and Customs published its estimate of the tax gap for 2022-23. The report puts the tax gap at an estimated £35. The HMRC’s tax gap analysis program is comprehensive in tax coverage, effectively addresses its multiple dimensions, and work is ongoing to enhance its support to 1) The HMRC Vision starts with a commitment to close the tax gap. It cites HMRC figures which show that the difference between the total amount of tax expected to be paid and the total amount of tax actually paid is approximately £36 billion, which represents 4. Jun 21, 2023 · The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. HMRC’s estimate of the tax gap for 2020-21 was 4. HMRC relies heavily on taxpayers - individuals and organisations - reporting their finances and paying their taxes in line with the rules. 8 per cent of taxes owed, or £39. 2 billion was lost to tax The total amount of tax owed by an individual or business to HMRC. The report puts the tax gap at an estimated £39. Jul 30, 2024 · We have successfully maintained a long-term reduction in the tax gap, from 7. The VAT gap preliminary estimate for 2023 to 2024 is expected to be published in May 27, 2024 · If ‘failure to take reasonable care’ is one of the largest causes of the tax gap, surely one relatively easy change would be to legally regulate the accounting/tax profession and ensure that only professionally qualified and insured individuals are permitted to call themselves accountants or tax advisors and/or submit to HMRC on behalf of the taxpayer’s business and tax affairs thoroughly, understanding the avoidance risks they pose and co-ordinating HMRC’s interventions. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) publishes annual estimates of the “tax gap”—the estimated difference between the amount of tax that should theoretically have been collected, and the amount actually collected. Where can the Oct 10, 2013 · The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. ” Notes for editors: The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC each year, and what is actually paid. 19. Labour’s plans for improving tax compliance are set out in a 15 page paper: ‘Labour’s Plan to close the Tax Gap’. 8 billion in 2022–23 (the latest year for which HMRC has made an estimate). The Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was established through the merger of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue (IR) and Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise (HMCE) by the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005. The difference between the tax that should be paid and the tax HMRC actually collect is the “tax gap”. Doing this will also make it easier to use the data for enforcement, by Feb 17, 2025 · The estimated UK tax gap for 2021-2022 was £36 billion, representing 4. The party describes the UK tax gap – the gap between the tax HMRC believe is due and tax actually paid – as remaining “stubbornly high”. Mar 4, 2025 · The tax gap is estimated at £39. Tables from previous years are This research analyses a limited part of the tax gap as measured by HMRC, namely that for corporation tax. It remains stubbornly high when reviewed year on year: the most recent published data (July 2022) estimates it at £32 billion for 2020/21 (see bit. A fair tax system is key to building a fairer society. ly/3d4L3Mn). Find out how much tax avoidance, evasion, error and carelessness contribute to the tax gap, and how HMRC plans to tackle them. cuts in HMRC on the tax gap. 2% of all tax due. Oct 25, 2024 · HMRC yesterday published ‘Undisclosed foreign income in Self Assessment by UK residents, 2018 to 2019’, describing it as ‘Official Statistics in Development’. Therefore, the tax gap was the tax gap each year and how it influences the way we work to collect taxes. “Sadly, current levels of tax non-compliance are far too high in the UK, with the UK tax gap reaching £39. Therefore, on the face of it, the estimated reduction in the VAT gap suggests that avoidance, evasion, and errors are reducing in UK VAT. Jun 23, 2022 · Statistics published today (23 June 2022) by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reveal the estimated tax gap for the 2020 to 2021 tax year is 5. May 3, 2023 · HMRC acknowledged that it will be more challenging to maintain the tax gap than it has been in the recent past but did not indicate what contingency plans it had if its resources were insufficient. Tax Justice UK is a campaigning and advocacy organisation. Estimated tax receipts were £823. 7% of the total tax owed. The statistics find a net under-declared tax liability in 2018-19 (accounting for HMRC’s compliance yield recovered) for UK residents with foreign income covered by automatic exchange of information 1 (AEOI) of £0. Circumstance Jul 9, 2020 · The tax gap estimate for 2018 to 2019 is 4. Another strong performance for HMRC raises interesting questions about what HMRC might do next. In 2025, the new government’s changes to the tax system will gradually roll out, including measures to reduce what it calls the ‘tax gap’, that Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves says currently stands at around £40 billion. However, the Tax Gap is more than just a PR exercise. 8bn in 2022-23. Jan 27, 2025 · As the government seeks to crack down on tax avoidance and fraud, HMRC is preparing itself for a record number of investigations. it's the tax debt owed as at June 2022. In the latest published data (for 2022/23), the tax gap was estimated to be 4. If you do not return to work at the end of the period contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) . Apr 16, 2024 · Taking on the tax gap. In contrast direct tax gaps are calculated bottom up, by adding up estimates of Jul 30, 2024 · The total ‘theoretical tax liability’ is the sum of the tax gap, plus the amount of tax receipts received by HMRC. Among the reasons for the tax gap, HMRC highlighted criminal attacks, non-payment and evasion as key factors, according to the report . It is all too easy to make money and not declare it, operate in cash, evade May 21, 2024 · The ‘tax gap’ is a measure of the difference between the amount of tax that is owed and the amount that is collected. 8bn in 2022-23 TaxWatch analyses the latest Tax Gap publication, noting it has reached £40bn in 2022-23 yet still doesn’t cover offshore matters Oct 24, 2024 · The recent NAO report highlighting HMRC’s lack of a strategy to deal with tax evasion among small businesses in the UK is a case in point. The “Tax Gap” is the difference between the amount of tax that should be collected and the amount actually collected, and grew from nearly £36 billion in 2021/22 to £40bn in 2022/23. HMRC: ‘digitalising tax process could close gap Nov 9, 2017 · Tax avoidance is the exploitation of legal loopholes to avoid tax. Its most recent estimate for 2019/20 is £35 billion, or approximately 5% of total tax liabilities. 8% or £39. Our lines are extremely busy at present. As an HMRC official had to point out at the time, of the £28bn, £25bn was subsequently The paper ends with a short review of development work planned by HMRC to improve its tax gap esti-mates and their applicability. 8 per cent of uncollected tax, according to new data from HMRC. 6% of tax owed in 2017-18. The amount of compliance yield HMRC generates and the size of the tax gap are related but Value of the Tax Gap 2016-17 Source: Measuring Tax Gaps 2018, HMRC, June 2018 Making Tax Digital 1. HMRC defines the tax gap as the difference between the amount of tax that it should receive in theory and what is actually paid. 2 billion in the 2022 to 2023 tax year. UK . Oct 18, 2012 · HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) statistics and methodological annexes relating to measuring tax gaps. 1 per cent of tax liabilities. We resolve tax disputes in a way that secures the right . 1% of total tax revenues. Headline figures show that in percentage terms, the tax gap has not changed. Closing the tax gap. Even more bizarrely, HMRC then released a publication on 23 June 2022 estimating the overall “tax gap” with astonishing claimed accuracy at 5. Progress in each of these areas, tax gap, compliance yield and tax debt, has either stalled or got worse in recent years: Mar 21, 2025 · There has been a long-term reduction in the Income Tax, National Insurance contributions and Capital Gains Tax gap from 4. 2 per cent of all Jun 21, 2023 · The amount of tax lost in the 2021-22 financial year was 4. 4 copied below). Jan 23, 2025 · HMRC’s offshore tax gap estimate labelled “implausibly low” and raises concerns raised about lack of strategy for reducing the tax gap and lack of prosecutions Public Accounts Committee slams HMRC’s approach to offshore tax gap – TaxWatch Oct 26, 2024 · Rachel Reeves will raise £6. HMRC calculates the tax gap for each tax year. You’re entitled to the tax credits for a certain period of time providing you qualify. For tax year 2018 to 2019 the hidden economy net tax Jan 15, 2025 · More automation in the tax system could shrink the difference between the amount of tax that should be collected by HMRC and what, in reality, is. 3 December 2014. Jun 27, 2022 · HMRC says the tax gap is £32 billion, but then it’s said that (near enough) every year since 2005 and it is really time that this was properly investigated, and not by HMRC,” said Murphy. Mar 21, 2025 · Dealing with HMRC; Tax compliance; Measuring tax gaps 2024 edition: tax gap estimates for 2022 to 2023 Figure 7. The tax gap and compliance yield – what they are and how they relate Summary The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be collected by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) against what is actually collected. HMRC currently estimates that the tax gap in that year was £33 Jul 22, 2020 · The “tax gap” is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. 8bn in 2022-23 TaxWatch analyses the latest Tax Gap publication, noting it has reached £40bn in 2022-23 yet still doesn’t cover offshore matters Jun 21, 2024 · What is the tax gap? The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax HMRC expects to collect and what it actually receives. 5 per cent of GDP), meaning that HMRC collected 95. 1% – the second lowest recorded percentage – and is Jul 22, 2020 · HMRC’s most recent estimate of the difference between the amount of tax theoretically owed and the amount collected – known as the tax gap – was £31 billion in 2018-19, equivalent to 4. 22 We asked the Department the extent to which the practice of ‘base erosion and profit shifting’ is captured in HMRC’s estimates of the tax gap. 8bn – up from £30. This paper does not attempt to explain HMRC’s tax gap methodology, but it is worth reflecting on the fact that the aim of the analysis is a robust assessment of tax lost through noncompliance. Read the full Measuring tax gaps report . In October the number of calls handled was 85. TaxWatch has long felt that this is highly questionable for the domestic tax gap, but the methodological issue is much more pronounced for offshore matters and especially taking one year into account, which this first report does. 8% of total theoretical tax liabilities, meaning that HMRC collected 95. In absolute figures, the amount of tax lost was £35. 8 billion, a figure that appears to highlight the pressing need for effective strategies to address tax non-compliance. 3 billion illicit cigarettes have been seized, worth more than £678m in tax, along with hand-rolling tobacco worth £41m. 1 per cent of the total potential tax yield notwithstanding its admitted cluelessness about the remaining scale of the offshore component. Oct 9, 2024 · Bill will chair the board’s Closing the Tax Gap Committee. 8 per cent of tax liabilities. 8 billion, which is 4. The political case for collecting this tax is straightforward and uncontroversial: it is tax that individuals and businesses "owe". 5% in 2005 to 2006 to 3. Jun 22, 2022 · The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. Further information HMRC ’s ‘Help for Hustles’ campaign Oct 24, 2024 · For tax year 2018 to 2019 the Self Assessment net tax gap was £7. publish estimates of the overall tax gap. 76,000 reports were made to HMRC’s tax evasion hotline between 2022 and 2023, a 4% increase from the previous year. 1. 8 billion or 4. 5 HMRC estimates that the tax gap – the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory be paid to HMRC, and what was actually paid – has remained at 4. This Mar 21, 2025 · Liability refers to the actual amount expected to be received by HMRC based on taxpayer declarations and The tax gap for mid-sized businesses Corporation Tax has decreased steadily from 13. Despite this disclosure, HMRC had not produced estimates on the amount of foreign financial accounts that were not properly disclosed. 4% in 2005 to 2006 to our latest tax gap figure (for 2022 to 2023), which was estimated to be 4. Jun 20, 2024 · HMRC today has released the figures of the 2022 to 2023 tax gap, which is their calculation of the tax due, but not collected. HMRC estimates indirect tax gaps using a top-down method, the difference between theoretical tax liability calculated from the national accounts and tax paid. The Stamp Duty Land Tax gap was stable around 3. Tax debt measures the amount of unpaid tax that HMRC is aware of but has not yet been paid. The party also points to a recent Financial Times Jul 22, 2020 · The tax gap is affected by a number of factors, including HMRC’s activity, economic conditions and changes in tax policy. The tax gap is not Limited is a registered company that administers, on behalf of HMRC, the holding of charges securing tax debts owed to HMRC. The National Audit Office (“NAO”) recommends improvements for HMRC to reduce the size of the tax gap. 5 billion. As of the 2022-2023 tax year, the tax gap is estimated to be a record high of £39. As of June 2023, the tax gap stands at an HMRC’s estimate of the tax gap includes both non-compliance with the letter of the law, such as tax evasion, and non-compliance with the spirit of the law, such as tax avoidance. The UK’s tax gap – the difference between what is owed and what HMRC actually collect – is Feb 28, 2024 · Corrigendum: In the Introduction page 4, the sentence beginning “It estimated the tax gap…” should instead read “It estimated the tax gap (the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid) to be £35. which includes the final estimate for the 2021/22 VAT gap. A ‘tax gap’ will always exist, because it is impossible to collect every penny theoretically owed in tax. 2% in 2013-14, although the monetary value has fallen by £2bn. Among the reasons that analysis of the overall direct tax gap is problematic are: Jun 22, 2024 · If HMRC had closed the small business tax gap as effectively as it closed other tax gaps, HMRC would collect £15bn more tax revenue each year. HMRC are tasked with holding the tax gap down below 5% in proportionate terms, but the amounts in cash terms continue to grow as fiscal drag continues to increase the ‘tax base’. However, some commentators have Investment in HMRC - closing the tax gap. 10 It told us that while the economy has now returned to pre-pandemic ways of working, taxpayers have not returned to pre-pandemic patterns of tax compliance. The report puts the tax gap at an estimated £32 billion, which is 5. uk Mar 21, 2025 · What is the tax gap? The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC (‘theoretical tax liability’), and the amount that is actually May 29, 2024 · HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) describes the tax gap as the difference between the amount of tax that should be paid in theory and what is actually paid. The VAT gap preliminary estimate for 2023 to 2024 is expected to be published in Both measures are estimates, based on HMRC’s assessment of how much tax is owed and the effectiveness of their compliance actions. The latest tax gap figure covers the 2022/23 financial year, and estimates that the overall tax gap was £39. The amount of compliance yield HMRC generates and the size of the tax gap are related but Jun 20, 2024 · The main cost is staff time for HMRC’s tax gap team and for compliance officers to undertake compliance checks on cases included as part of the REPs. 9 billion in absolute terms in the 2022 to 2023 tax year. Anthony’s article was published in Accountancy Daily, 4 October 2021, and can be found here . The paper identifies a number of problems with the behaviour being measured by HMRC in its tax gap estimates. By 2016 it is expected to have around 52,000. a In 2021-22, HMRC estimated the tax gap to be £35. Jun 20, 2024 · Small businesses are responsible for the largest proportion of the overall tax gap – now 60% compared to other categories of taxpayer (HMRC use the quaint term ‘customer segments’). 8% of total theoretical tax liabilities, or £39. Oct 16, 2014 · HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announces a rise in the "tax gap" - the difference between the amount of tax it should collect theoretically, and the actual total. Read our tax gap publication on GOV. These are HMRC’s understanding of the scale of the tax gap (Part One). 8bn and the amount HMRC collected was £784bn. In its ‘Measuring tax gaps 2024’ report, HMRC has revealed its estimates for the difference between the amount of tax it should, in theory, receive for the 2022-2023 tax year – and what it actually gets. The tax gap is a measure of the taxes collected by HMRC compared to the theoretical liability, which should be collectable. 8bn in absolute terms. 8 billion. I can make a fairly confident prediction. 8bn in the previous year. 8% of tax estimated to be owed. Tax gaps: VAT. Headline figures show that in percentage terms, the tax gap has fallen slightly as a percentage of tax liabilities. 8% of tax owed, this gap is the difference between what HMRC should and in reality, does collect. The analysis aims Sep 22, 2024 · The move is part of a plan to close the £39. £42bn is not the tax gap. Its causes include non-payment, simple mistakes, carelessness, fraud (deliberate wrongdoing), tax avoidance, organised crime and differences in legal interpretation of tax laws. 4% in 2022 to 2023. 7% of total tax liabilities. Oct 10, 2024 · The tax gap and debt balance. We set out HMRC’s definition of the tax gap, the main causes and trends in how it has changed, and the strengths and weaknesses of the measure; • HMRC’s performance in closing the tax gap (Part Two) including: the amount Jun 20, 2024 · The UK’s so-called tax gap in the 2022 to 2023 tax year is estimated to stand at £39. 3. 8 percent of theoretical tax liabilities for 2021/22. " The tax gap. Jul 9, 2020 · The HMRC tax gaps team have conducted a review of different approaches to estimating non-detection multipliers, explored their application in international tax gap estimation, and tested out Jan 11, 2023 · No. 9% in tax year 2005 to 2006 to 6. Therefore, ‘reducing the tax gap’ means ensuring that more tax that should be paid is actually paid. Sep 16, 2021 · We recommend that HMRC do this in their next update to the Tax Gap. HMRC (2019a: 3) defines the tax gap as the difference between what III. Section 2. Nov 24, 2021 · In September 2021 HMRC published revised estimates, which put the tax gap at £35 billion for 2019/20, representing 5. ” Aug 22, 2023 · The tax gap is the difference between the tax that HMRC thinks should, in theory, be paid and the amount actually paid. Tax evasion alone accounted for £4. 2. In the vast majority of Jul 22, 2024 · Who is responsible for the UK’s tax gap? HMRC’s tax gap data for 2022/23 attributes an increasing share of the tax gap to small businesses, being 60% (£24. Mar 21, 2025 · In ‘Measuring tax gaps 2023 edition’, HMRC announced that as a development objective ahead of ‘Measuring tax gaps 2024 edition’ it would aim to publish a “stand-alone customs duty gap Oct 11, 2013 · Tax gaps are the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. From individuals to the largest companies, everyone must pay their fair share towards our vital public services. The tax gap is the difference between tax collected and total theoretical tax liabilities (the amount of tax that should, in theory, be collected if individuals and businesses paid all tax due). 3 billion. Nov 29, 2011 · HMRC statistics relating to VAT gap estimates. Labour’s manifesto pledges to spend £855million per year on “ Investment in HMRC to reduce tax avoidance ”, with the intention of raising £5. In essence, it is a measure of the nation’s tax non-compliance – be it accidental or intentional underpayment. In the latest update of 20 June 2024, HMRC estimated the tax gap to be 4. HMRC say it’s £39. From: HM Revenue & Customs Published 29 November 2011 Second estimate of the VAT gap (tax year 2013 to 2014) release. Nov 1, 2024 · This follows on from the February call for evidence on HMRC’s enquiry and assessment powers, penalties and safeguard. One significant change in the 2022 Tax Gap edition is the amount of uncertainty in the figures. 1bn through targeting the tax gap. 7 billion, while tax evasion was around £4. HMRC collected £628 billion in tax revenue in 2018 to 2019. The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax that should be paid to HMRC based on the tax rules and the amount that is actually paid. Jun 27, 2022 · HMRC’s Tax Gap has increased for the second year in a row on a like-for-like basis. 23 billion in HMRC has published Measuring Tax Gaps 2023 (their annual summary of the tax they haven’t collected). Jun 21, 2024 · The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. tax liability consistent with the law, fairly and even-handedly across all taxpayers. includes a brief discussion on HMRC’s approach to the CIT tax gap analysis. 8%”. This showed that HMRC thinks it should have received about £40bn more tax revenue for the year than it did. 8% of total expected tax revenue (HMRC, June 2023). 6 billion within the same time frame. Uncertainty. HMRC estimates that the tax gap–the difference between the amount of tax that should be paid to HMRC, and what was actually paid–increased from £38. 8 billion, the most recent data shows. In essence, this means that HMRC collected 95. The size of the tax gap is difficult to estimate and can be revised in later years. It cost an estimated £1. 8bn, which is equivalent to 4. The measure. In percentage terms, the tax gap has gradually reduced since 2005, and has remained static since last year. To think of that £42bn as the tax gap is to make the same silly mistake that Richard Murphy did when he included a £28bn tax debt in his now infamous 2010 calculation of the tax gap. Across the UK HMRC has abandoned its local office structure and its face-to-face contact with the local communities it serves. Oct 29, 2024 · We believe that poor customer service from HMRC, coupled with other factors such as inadequate guidance, are contributors to the high levels of mistake which form nearly half of the tax gap. Total theoretical tax liabilities for the year were £823. The focus of the current consultation is on “exploring whether HMRC’s approach to correcting mistakes by large numbers of taxpayers could be improved” which, as noted, makes up a big chunk of the tax gap. 6bn in the 2021-2022 Oct 30, 2024 · The government’s published Plan to Close the Tax Gap explains that HMRC will relentlessly pursue the money that is owed, with a plan to make sure people pay the right tax in the first place, and Jan 15, 2025 · HMRC currently has a helpline response rate target of 85%, where customers who want to speak to an advisor get to speak to advice. HMRC’s Tax Gap. The minister’s plans to close the tax gap came up throughout the session. In the last financial year, 2018-19, it collected 90% of the tax owed through this “voluntary compliance” and payment of The data we see in the 2019-20 tax gap supports that theory – the initial “teething period” has contributed to the tax gap. Jun 20, 2024 · HMRC only publishes a revised historical VAT gap series once a year in the ‘Measuring tax gaps’ publication. Compliance yield and the Tax Gap HMRC’s 2024 Tax Gap report: Amount of tax going unpaid hits record high at £39. With Rachel Reeves stating a focus on “tax dodgers”, the new Labour government has unveiled an ambitious aim of generating additional annual tax revenues of £5. Whilst the tax gap may be have remained relatively constant in recent years, statistics published by HMRC suggest a change in behaviour behind the theoretical lost tax, with increased amounts arising from tax evasion (£4. Local knowledge has been lost and trust has been foregone as a result. 9 billion of the total tax gap in 2021-2022 (HMRC, June 2023). 8% and £30. 2: Avoidance tax gap by type of tax, 2018 to 2019 to 2022 to 2023 (£ billion Jan 11, 2023 · HMRC said that within the headline estimate, the tax gap for VAT decreased while the tax gap for Corporation Tax, excise duties and income tax Self-Assessment increased in 2020–21. ckgaxhsbkokwyxiamlnoeqvechqsvaywvqgrcdknwbfnkcshbzjymjslnnwkxstxcahgtotrfxktj