by Mike Lewis | Oct 6, 2025
Read full report Executive Summary The Patent Box is a UK tax relief which allows companies to pay a corporation tax rate of 10% on profits related to the exploitation of patented inventions and products, rather than the usual 25% rate. Introduced in 2013, the Patent...
by Mike Lewis | May 23, 2025
Previously we found that HMRC is hardly using powers to investigate, penalise and publicise tax advisers who enable tax abuse. Here we look at why these powers aren’t being used: a barrage of legal roadblocks; and holding back on naming and shaming. *** When tax...
by Claire Aston | Mar 26, 2025
Photo credit: HM Treasury HMRC’s target for prosecution ‘charging decisions’ to be set 20% above the rates achieved in 2023-24. These rates have collapsed since pre-pandemic. It will be 2029 before HMRC’s target returns to the rate achieved in 2019-20 – a lost decade,...
by Simon Watkins | Feb 12, 2025
Tax evasion cost UK taxpayers £5.5bn in 2022-23, with 81% from small businesses – up from 66% in 2019-20 Prosecutions for tax evasion down 54% since 2018-19 Phoenixism cost the exchequer at least £500 million in 2022-23 HMRC lacks a specific strategy for...
by Simon Watkins | Feb 10, 2025
A National Audit Office report released today focuses on the administrative cost of the tax system. The report finds that HMRC’s costs of administering the tax system increased by 15% (£563 million) between 2019-20 and 2023-24. The report focuses on several...
by Claire Aston | Feb 5, 2025
Over 1.1m of UK taxpayers miss the deadline for submitting their self-assessment return deadline for 2023/24 of 31 January 2025 Automatic £100 late filing penalty automatically due, rising to £300 if the return remains outstanding by end of April Penalty is charged...