H M Revenues & Customs has developed a taskforce that will focus on scrap dealers who are deliberately failing to pay the correct amount of tax.
The taskforce will pursue scrap dealers in Scotland as this is seen as a high tax evasion area. In particular, it will focus on those who are deliberately suppressing their income or inflating expenditure to evade paying tax.
Exchequer Secretary David Gauke said: “We will not tolerate those who break the rules. This taskforce will come down hard on scrap metal dealers and their customers or suppliers who have chosen to break the rules or deliberately evade the tax they should be paying. This is just the start.
“It doesn’t matter who you are. HMRC can and will track you down. You will face a heavy fine, a possible criminal prosecution and ultimately jail. Honest businesses have nothing t worry about.”
HMRC is planning 12 taskforces across different sectors and areas in 2011/12 and others will follow in 2012/13.
