Tackling promoters of marketed tax avoidance

These measures target:

• promoters of marketed tax avoidance schemes
• professionals who market or enable the marketing of tax avoidance schemes

New powers will introduce a:

• ban on promoting avoidance arrangements that have no realistic prospect of success
• power to allow HMRC commissioners to specify further arrangements in regulations which may not be promoted, with penalties and a criminal offence for non-compliance

Instead of applying to the courts, HMRC will now issue :

• disclosure of tax avoidance scheme (DOTAS) penalties
• disclosure of tax avoidance schemes: VAT and other indirect taxes (DASVOIT) penalties

HMRC can also:

• issue promoter action notices (PANs) which require businesses providing goods and services to promoters to stop
• issue anti-avoidance information notices (AAIN) which allow HMRC to effectively investigate promoter organisations and identify the responsible individuals, with penalties and criminal offences for those who are non-compliant
• publish details of legal professionals promoting schemes in more circumstances