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Payment

In 2003-04, of the total gross receipt of income tax, 0.008 per cent was paid in euros, and 0.003 per cent was paid in other foreign currency, mainly United States dollars.

(Hansard, 30 June 2004, Vol 423, No 111, col 278W.)

Personal allowance

The cost of raising the personal income tax allowance to £10,000 per annum in 2004-05 is (a) £29.8 billion in gross costs and (b) £29.6 billion in costs net of savings of social security benefits, disclosed the Paymaster General, Dawn Primarolo.

(Hansard, 22 July 2004, Vol 424, No 125, col 484W.)

Inspector vacancies

Dawn Primarolo disclosed that there were currently 234 vacancies for tax Inspectors throughout the United Kingdom. The vacancies are not advertised in terms of part time or full time. Candidates may apply to work part time if they wish.

(Hansard, 22 July 2004, Vol 424, No 125, col 488W.)

Tax credits

In response to a question about hardship where tax credit overpayments had to be paid back the Paymaster General stated that, at 5 April 2004, there were six million families benefiting from tax credits. The code of practice sets out the circumstances in which additional payments may be made (for example as a result of their reporting changes in circumstances such as a rise in income). In 2003-04, in line with the code, around 65,000 such payments were made to tax credit recipients whose 2003-04 tax credit award had been reduced. The total value of those additional payments was around £20 million.

(Hansard, 22 July 2004, Vol 424, No 125, col 488W.)

Money laundering

In response to a question about the reporting of money laundering offences by the Inland Revenue to the appropriate investigative agency, Caroline Flint, Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for the Home Office, stated that powers to allow the Inland Revenue to pass disclosures relating to incidents of suspected money laundering to other investigative agencies came into force in 2001. No such disclosures were made in 2001-02, three in 2002-03 and seven in 2003-04.

In general the investigation of money laundering by Customs and Excise is an assigned matter. The result of this is that, where investigators from the organisation discover incidences of its occurrence, they are empowered to investigate and prosecute the offence themselves and do not need to make disclosures to another agency. Where the money laundering offence is not assigned, for example people trafficking or robbery, then cases may be referred to another agency, and since 2001 seventeen money laundering offences have been referred in this way.

(Hansard, 22 July 2004, Vol 424, No 125, col 598W.)

Issue: 3970 / Categories: