§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the tax lost to the Inland Revenue in each of the last four years as a consequence of tax planning by accountancy firms. [26234]
§ Dawn PrimaroloTax planning is a term commonly used to describe the organisation of financial affairs in an entirely lawful manner in order to minimise liability to tax. It is not really practicable to estimate the tax liabilities that would have arisen had accountants organised the affairs of their clients in a less efficient manner. Consequently, there can be no reliable measure of the tax lost to the Inland Revenue as a consequence of tax planning.