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Tax evaders to be 'named and shamed'

Published on 4 Mar 2010 under category: legal

Taxpayers and companies that evade their payments will have their name, address and details of the evasion publicly disclosed, under a new law that came into force yesterday (March 3rd).

Any individual or company owing more than £25,000 will be identified under the new legislation, though it will only become enforceable from April 2010.

A list of names is not expected until the first half of 2011, for this reason.

Stephen Timms, the financial secretary to the Treasury, said: "It is only right that people pay their fair share of tax, which supports vital public services. We know that law-abiding taxpayers will want to see the results of HMRC's investigations into tax cheats.

"This new approach should make people think again about trying to get away with tax fraud. As well as having to pay the tax, interest on the tax, plus penalties of up to 100 per cent of the tax lost, they also now risk being identified publicly."

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have reassured people who are uncertain about how much they owe that they will not be identified publicly, if they contact the government agency straight away to explain their predicament.

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