Taxpayers have themselves to blame for incurring the loan charge, says minister

HMRC is taking ‘a measured proportionate and sympathetic approach’ to the collection of the loan charge said Mel Stride financial secretary to the Treasury in response to questions in the House of Commons about the new tax. 

On whether it was right that HMRC could go back 20 years to reopen accounts that had been accepted Laurence Robertson (Conservative) asked why if this tax was due then HMRC had not obtained that tax 20 years ago? 

The taxpayers were to blame said Mr Stride. ‘As to why tax may not have been paid at the time that it was due there are a multitude of reasons for that not least of which is the fact that many taxpayers simply do not volunteer the correct information or they claim that their scheme works when clearly it does not. HMRC has over many many...