The last public awareness campaign of HMRC, “do not catch”, is being criticized by fiscal experts for blurring the lines between legal tax planning and illegal activity, a measure that could confuse taxpayers and undermine the clear of the United Kingdom fiscal system.
According to the leading audit, taxes and advice firm Blick Rothenberg, the campaign repeatedly refers to “tax evasion schemes” when describing behaviors that are more accurately accurate fiscal evasion or fraud.
Robert Salter, director of Blick Rothenberg, said: “It is good that HMRC is warning taxpayers about scams. But by calling the fiscal avoidance schemes of these arrangements,” they are misunderstanding the terminology and potentially deceiving Casar.
Salter emphasized that tax evasion is a legal and routine routine, which involves tools such as pension contributions, ISA or salary sacrifice schemes. On the contrary, tax evasion implies the deliberate concealment of income, assets or false reports to avoid paying taxes, and is a criminal offense.
He added that combining the terms could leave the insecure taxpayers of what legitimate fiscal planning options are available to them, and that they inadvertently make it easier for scams to exploit that confusion.
“Fiscal evasion is legal and legitimate. It is what many do when they contribute to a guest pension or adjust salary structures. But tax evasion is a crime. The use of correct terminology is important, both to protect and to protect taxpayers,” said Salter.
Campaign messages, aimed at educating people about the risks of tax scams, could lead some to lose the genuine tax savings opportunities for fear of crossing legal lines.
Salter warned: “If a taxpayer is fine making legitimate decisions due to this confusion, they could end their pocket. Worse, the scammers could exploit ambiguity to make the ornament schemes seem more credible.”
The HMRC urged to review the language used in its educational materials, emphasizing that the clear distinctions between tax evasion, tax evasion and fiscal fraud are essential, not only to help the public navigate the system, but also to prior confidence and predecence.
“Making the clearest distinction will not only help protect taxpayers, but also could reduce the number of consultations and investigations that HMRC has to handle,” Salter concluded.
HMRC has not yet responded publicly to criticism.
Jamie Young
Jamie is a senior reporter of Business Matters, who brings more than a decade of experience in commercial reports of the United Kingdom. Jamie has a business administration title and participates regularly in conferences and industry workshops. When he does not inform about the last business development, Jamie is passionate about the mentoring of promising journalists and businessmen to inspire the next generation of business leaders.
