Tax

EDM number 624 in 2010-12, proposed by Caroline Lucas on 26/07/2010.
Categorised under the topics of Benefits administration and Taxation.

That this House calls on the Government to take urgent action to halt its programme of job cuts and office closures in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC); is concerned that the Department is already failing to deliver an adequate service, having to write-off over 11 billion worth of debt and with over 40 million calls going unanswered in one year; believes that an adequate local HMRC presence is the best way to tackle the growing tax debt and problems in public service delivery; notes that HMRC officials have warned that any cuts resulting from the Comprehensive Spending Review 2010 will result in lower tax collection; further notes that the gap between tax liability and the amount of revenue collected each year is not properly recorded; is further concerned that estimates of the tax gap vary between 25 billion and 123 billion; and calls on the Government properly to resource and staff HMRC to ensure that reducing the tax gap is prioritised over cuts to public spending as a means for reducing the national debt.

This motion has been signed by a total of 3 MPs.