Household Bills
HMRC adds ten tax fugitives to ‘most wanted’ list
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has added a further ten alleged tax dodgers to its ‘most wanted’ list, as the department faced criticism for so far apprehending only one of 20 original fugitives.
Last year, HMRC published the names and pictures of 20 people it said had cost taxpayers millions in lost revenue.
The appeal helped provide intelligence on 15 of the alleged offenders, but only one, John Nugent, was captured, according to HMRC.
A second man not included in the original list of 20 but later added to it has also been caught in the last 12 months, the department said.
HMRC has now renewed its appeals on 19 of the suspects while adding ten new names wanted in connection with offences including VAT fraud, tax evasion and money laundering.
The new people listed have cost the taxpayer between £120,000 and £10m, HMRC claims.
Chancellor George Osborne said the new list will help bring more “tax fraudsters” to justice.
But Labour said the number of alleged offenders still at large suggested the project had so far been a “huge failure”.
Shadow Treasury minister Catherine McKinnell said: “At a time when families are facing a cost-of-living crisis, it’s even more important that everyone pays their fair share of tax. The government needs to do better,” she said.
