HMRC investment is a “missed opportunity to make a more significant difference”

November 23, 2023

Sean Aidan Calderbank, via Shutterstock

Responding to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement, President of the Association of Revenue and Customs – FDA’s section in HMRC – Loz Hutton welcomed “the Chancellor’s recognition of our members’ vital work in HMRC, to fund public services and support business.

“From creating a simpler, more effective tax system, to reducing the tax gap by giving HMRC greater power to tackle fraud, enabling further action against those promoting avoidance schemes, as well as increased investment in debt management capability.

“However, this is a missed opportunity for the Chancellor to make a more significant difference. Rather than obsessively focusing on reducing the civil service to pre-pandemic numbers, the emphasis should be on what could be achieved if departments like HMRC are properly resourced and funded.

“By the Chancellor’s own admission, an investment of £163m is expected to yield returns of £4.5bn – imagine what a bold decision with a more significant investment could have accomplished.”

HM Revenue and Customs