Tax Avoidance
Treasury
Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon, Conservative)
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated monetary rate was of (a) tax avoidance and (b) tax planning schemes in force in (i) 2000 and (ii) each year since 2005.
David Gauke (Exchequer Secretary, HM Treasury; South West Hertfordshire, Conservative)
The latest tax gap estimates were published in September 2010 in “Measuring Tax Gaps 2010” on HMRC's website:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/measuring-tax-gaps-2010.htm.pdf
This publication also contained an illustrative breakdown of the tax gap by behaviour for 2007-08. This estimated that avoidance and legal interpretation accounted respectively for 17.5% and 15% of the total tax gap.
HMRC do not produce an estimate of the monetary rate of tax planning schemes; unacceptable tax planning is covered by avoidance.
HMRC will be publishing “Measuring Tax Gaps 2011” on