HMRC slams tax allegations

Tax body will not be targeting 'blameless' businesses it claims

Hitting the targets: HMRC acknowledges that the 'majority' of taxpayers are honest

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has rebuffed claims that it is planning to seize a further £4bn in revenue in 2010/11 through an even more aggressive VAT strategy.

Quentin Pain, founder of accountancy software company Accountz, claimed that the £16.1bn figure needed to be 'clawed back' is a 33 per cent increase on last year and could cause severe difficulties for many firms.

“The strategy…could leave blameless businesses facing unnecessary probes into their dealings,” Pain claimed in an online comment.

An HMRC representative said the figure was not properly representative and any strategy would not target innocent taxpayers.

"There is no source for the claims [in the comment piece] for the figures cited or for the claims about what we [HMRC] are planning to do. The £4bn [figure cited in Pain's comment] includes reduced losses from such things as criminal attacks. We believe the majority of taxpayers are honest and want to abide by the rules,” the representative said.