§ Mr. David Atkinsonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount of income tax written off as irrecoverable in 1977–78 and 1978–79, on the grounds that the amounts involved were not sufficient to justify the cost of pursuit; and how many individual taxpayers were involved in each of the above two years.
§ Mr. Peter ReesIn the year of account which ended on 27 October 1978 the income tax remitted under this head amounted to £7 million. The corresponding amount for the year to 26 October 1979 is not yet known precisely, but is estimated to be in the region of £5 million.
The number of individual taxpayers involved is not recorded, but the Inland Revenue estimates that there would have been more than 100,000 in each year.