Announced at Budget 2014, Direct Recovery of Debts (DRD) will provide HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) with the ability to recover cash directly from the bank accounts, building society accounts and ISA accounts of debtors who owe the taxpayer £1,000 or more. DRD will help to level the playing field, ensuring the honest, hardworking majority are not disadvantaged by the minority that dodge their responsibilities. HMRC estimates this will apply to around 17,000 cases a year, with the average debt of those affected £5,800. Around half of these cases will involve debtors with more than £20,000 in their bank and building society accounts. HMRC only taking action on those who have established debts and have passed the timetable for appeals. Only targeting debtors who have repeatedly ignored attempts to make contact. Typically they will have been contacted on up to nine separate occasions (a minimum of four) before HMRC takes action. Only targeting those with tax and tax credit debts over £1,000. Always leaving a minimum of £5,000 in the debtor’s accounts. Putting a hold on debtors’ accounts and giving them 14 days to contact HMRC and arrange payment of the debt, before any money is taken. To ensure HMRC only targets those refusing to pay, safeguards will be in place to provide certainty to taxpayers. These include:
Read the full press release
CIPP comment The Policy and Research team will be reviewing this consultation in detail and will comment at a later date on any specific implications for payroll.
Toolkits to help minimise common errors
12 may 2014
HMRC has published 3 updated toolkits : Company Losses, Property Rental and Directors' Loan Accounts.
These toolkits provide guidance on areas of error that HMRC frequently see in returns and set out the steps that you can take to reduce those errors. They should help you to:
ensure that returns are completed correctly, minimising errors focus on the areas of possible error that HMRC consider key demonstrate reasonable care.
Before you get started, please read the essential information on using the toolkits and reasonable care under HMRC's penalty system.
Essential information to help you use HMRC's toolkits
HMRC has also produced a short video that gives useful information about the toolkits (running time 3 minutes).
View the 'HMRC agent toolkits' video
Download a transcript of the 'HMRC agent toolkits' video
CIPP Policy News Journal
08/04/2015, Page 191 of 521
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