HMRC’s challenge with cross-border recovery

KEY POINTS

• Is HMRC taking on too many challenges?
• A ‘no deal’ Brexit will require extra tax resources.
• The Mutual Assistance Recovery Directive (MARD) allows for the recovery of various taxes.
• Processing requests for assistance to collect revenue is an extra burden on tax authorities.
• The amounts pursued have doubled in four years to €67m.
• HMRC has been able to recover only 2% of the amounts for which assistance was requested.
• The demands of Brexit will add to HMRC’s workload.

Since the June 2016 referendum vote to leave the European Union there have been few certainties about Britain’s future relationship with its soon-to-be former partners. That lack of clarity appears to have meant nothing but trouble for HMRC. In January an...