Is HMRC doing enough to prevent tax abuse, ask MPs

The steps taken by HMRC to address public concerns about the tax lost to avoidance and offshore evasion will be examined by MPs on the Treasury subcommittee.

Launching the inquiry subcommittee chair John Mann said: ‘HMRC has been given additional funds in recent years to address the issue yet the tax gap for avoidance and evasion is still billions of pounds.

‘The subcommittee will look into how well HMRC has used these additional funds to close the tax gap whether its strategy to reduce avoidance and offshore evasion has worked and whether HMRC’s resources are sufficient.’

The response of the tax profession to concerns about its role in aiding tax avoidance and evasion will also be scrutinised.

Mr Mann said the subcommittee would ‘be pressing those who seek out loopholes to get out of paying tax and the organisations that help them to give...