With new powers having been introduced to tackle till fraud, HMRC visited businesses across the country and arrested three people in one day.
On the 18th of May 2022, as many as 30 businesses were visited – these included shops, takeaways and restaurants – across nine counties with the arrests taking place in Nottinghamshire as part of a criminal investigation into the alleged supply of Electronic Sales Suppression (ESS) software.
Those involved in making, supplying or promoting EES systems that help users to hide or reduce the value of their till sales now face fines up to £50,000 and criminal investigations. Users will also face fines.
Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Frazer, said, “The overwhelming majority of businesses are paying their taxes and rightly want to see HMRC stepping in where needed to ensure a level playing field for all.
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Email Jaime“Tax crime does not stand still and neither do we – the new powers available to HMRC allow them to clamp down on ESS and help recover tax revenues to fund our vital public services.”
Marc Gill, HMRC’s Director of Individuals & Small Business Compliance, added, “Electronic Sales Suppression gives the appearance a business is trading legitimately, when in fact they’re really just stealing money from taxpayers.
“We encourage anyone using, supplying, making or promoting ESS to report via our disclosure facility. Making a disclosure is not only the right thing to do it could also lead to a reduction in financial penalties.”
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