article_snippet: A powerful committee of MPs claims weak law enforcement means tax avoidance – and evasion – remains ‘a risk worth taking’.
article_snippet: Today, the PAC will say that the taxman must do more to ‘challenge’ these tactics, saying: ‘HMRC needs to show that it comes down hard on tax cheats and change the perception that it is far too tolerant of those who break the law by hiding those who break the law by hiding their income income.
article_snippet: wider policy to clamp down on aggressive tax avoidance.
article_snippet: As it stands, tax avoidance – and even evasion – can be a risk worth taking.
article_snippet: A spokesman for HM Revenue and Customs said: ‘We are pleased that the committee recognises the progress that HMRC has made in clamping down on tax evasion and avoidance, by relentlessly pursuing those who seek to cheat the system.
article_snippet: We have shut down marketed avoidance schemes, closed loopholes, secured tough new enforcement powers, and opened up international information exchanges so rich evaders will have no safe havens where rich evaders can hide rich evaders money.
article_snippet: As a result of We compliance efforts and the £1billion extra investment over this Parliament, we have secured more than £100 billion in additional revenues in the past five years to pay for essential public services, raised penalties for tax evasion to 200 per cent of tax owed and increased prosecutions five-fold.
highlights_snippet: Weak enforcement means 'tax avoidance can be a risk worth taking' 