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Midlands' truckers facing HMRC over unpaid tax

Baker Tilly is warning haulage firms in the Midlands to get their tax affairs in order following an announcement by HMRC that it has launched a taskforce to tackle regional tax dodgers within the sector.

HMRC has recovered more than £80 million nationally in unpaid taxes since it began setting up dedicated taskforces in 2011 to conduct programmes of intensive investigations aimed at specific industry sectors.

HMRC has said that it expects this current investigation into haulage firms in the Midlands to recover £3.5 million.

HMRC teams may visit haulage businesses in the region personally to examine their books and to carry out investigations into their affairs.

Paul Merris, Partner in Baker Tilly’s Birmingham Office said: “HMRC would not be launching this investigation unless it had good reason to believe that tax evasion was taking place. It’s likely that a number of hauliers within the region will receive a visit from HMRC so it would be sensible to for them to be prepared for this possibility.

“For peace of mind, Midlands haulage firms would do well to review their affairs to ensure that they are in order and if they have any reason to believe that their tax arrangements are not completely up to date then the matter should be addressed with high priority, perhaps seeking expert advice if necessary.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Baker Tilly .