§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures have been introduced since 1997 to reduce tax evasion by the use of offshore accounts. [49680]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThe Inland Revenue has a continuing commitment to detect and counter tax evasion. Resources are deployed with an emphasis on areas of high risk and the Inland Revenue's Special Compliance Office deals specifically with evasion involving offshore accounts.
The Finance Act 2000 introduced a package of measures to improve the UK's ability to exchange tax information with other countries. Effective exchange of information is a key tool in reducing tax evasion by the use of offshore accounts.
880W
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated cost of tax evasion was in each of the last 10 years. [49082]
§ Dawn PrimaroloNo such figures are available. There is no generally accepted method of producing a measure sufficiently reliable to be of value.
The Inland Revenue has a continuing programme of counter-evasion work which covers all parts of the United Kingdom. Resources are deployed to detect evasion across the tax system with an emphasis on areas of high tax risk.