PwC questions HMRC tax proposal

News Article - 06 July 2007
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HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) recent proposal to seize money from the bank accounts of individuals and businesses that owe tax has been criticised by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

PwC senior tax partner John Whiting told BBC Radio Five Live's Wake Up To Money programme that safeguards should be put in place for taxpayers in case HMRC makes the wrong calculation.

He questioned whether taxpayers would know how to get their money back in the event that HMRC wrongly collects funds from their bank accounts.

"We've got to have safeguards to say that it's definitely owed, properly proceeded against and of course the taxpayer has got some rights of appeal," Mr Whiting added.

According to HMRC, it was owed a total of £21.9 billion in unpaid taxes and duties at March 2006.

The proposal is now open to public consultation until September 17th this year.

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