Finance Bill — House of Commons, 2016-09-05
Topic: Macroeconomics
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): With this it will be convenient to discuss the following: New clause 12—Report on the impact of the criminal offences relating to offshore income, assets and activities— ‘(1) The Chancellor of the Exchequer shall, within one year of the coming into force of the provisions in TMA 1970 relating to criminal offences relating to offshore income, assets and activities introduced by section 165 of this Act publish a report on the impact of the introduction of these offences (2) The report must include, but need not be limited to, information about— (a) the number of persons who have been charged with offences under each of sections 106B, 106C and 106D of TMA 1970; (b) the number of persons who have been convicted of any such offence; (c) the average fine imposed; and (d) the number of people upon whom a custodial sentence has been imposed for any such offence New clause 13—Report into the UK Tax Gap— ‘(1) The Chancellor of the Exchequer shall, within one year of the passing of this Act, prepare and publish a report, in consultation with stakeholders, on the UK Tax Gap (2) The report must include the following— (a) details of the UK Tax Gap (including individual breakdowns for figures relating to tax avoidance and tax evasion) for the financial years— (i) 2015-16; (ii) 2014-15; (iii) 2013-14; (iv) 2012-13; and (v) 2011-12; (b) a detailed summary of the model used by HMRC for estimating the UK Tax Gap; (c) an assessment of the efficacy of HMRC’s performance in relation dealing with the UK Tax Gap, including— (i) a breakdown of specific HMRC departments or units dealing with investigation and enforcement matters in relation to the UK Tax Gap; (ii) details of the numbers of staff in each of the years listed in paragraph (a) who are located within departments or units dealing with investigation and enforcement matters in relation to the UK Tax Gap; (iii) details of the budgets allocated to departments or units dealing with investigation above; and (iv) details of the numbers of prosecutions or the amount of tax recovered in each financial year listed in paragraph (a) as a result of the work of HMRC departments or units dealing with investigation and enforcement matters in relation to the UK Tax Gap in those financial years (d) a review of the impact on tax revenues of requiring non-public organisations involved in public procurement processes to— (i) be registered in the UK for tax purposes; (ii) have paid UK tax for a period of at least five years prior to the date the relevant contract is awarded; (iii) publish full details of beneficial ownership for the period of five years prior to the date the relevant contract is awarded; and (iv) provide company accounts (including those of any beneficial owners) for the period of five years prior to the date the relevant contract is awarded (e) a comprehensive assessment of the efficacy of the General Anti Abuse Rule in discouraging tax avoidance; (f) an assessment of the impact on tax revenues of introducing a set of minimum standards in relation to tax transparency for all British crown dependencies and overseas territories including (but not limited to)— (i) placing a statutory duty on British crown dependencies and overseas territories to observe a system of good governance and practice in relation to tax enforcement; and (ii) requiring British crown dependencies and overseas territories to maintain a public register of owners, directors, major shareholders and beneficial owners; (g) an assessment of the impact on tax revenues of establishing a public register of all trusts located within the UK, British Crown Dependencies and overseas territories, including but not limited to— (i) details of the names of beneficiaries to such trusts; (ii) details of the addresses of beneficiaries to such trusts; (iii) details of assets held by such trusts; (iv) details of any trustees registered within the UK who have transferred that main residence to non-UK jurisdictions; (v) details of tax avoidance schemes involving trusts which are currently disclosed to the HMRC (3) For the purposes of this section, the "UK Tax Gap" means the difference in any financial year between the amount of tax HMRC should be entitled to collect and the tax actually collected in that financial year which derives from tax avoidance and tax evasion Government amendments 136 and 137 Amendment 167, in clause 163, page 293, line 25, leave out "may" and insert "must" Amendment 168, in page 293, line 41, leave out "may" and insert "must" Amendment 171, in clause 165, page 295, line 9, at end insert "and that the person had an honest belief that all of the information included was true and accurate" Amendment 172, in page 295, line 26, at end insert "and that the person had an honest belief that all of the information included was true and accurate" Amendment 173, in page 295, line 40, at end insert "and that the person had an honest belief that all of the information included was true and accurate". Amendment 145, in schedule 19, page 589, line 29, at end insert— ‘(6) The Treasury may by regulations require the group tax strategy to include a country-by-country report (7) In this paragraph "country-by-country report" has the meaning given by the Taxes (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) (Country-by-Country Reporting) Regulations 2016." Amendment 163, in schedule 20, page 609, line 34, at end insert "or 100% of any fee paid by Q to P in respect of enabling Q to carry out offshore tax evasion or non-compliance" Amendment 164, in page 609, line 40, at end insert "or 100% of any fee paid by Q to P in respect of enabling Q to carry out offshore tax evasion or non-compliance" Amendment 165, in schedule 21, page 618, leave out lines 27 to 34 and insert— 70% 50% 35% 87.5% 58.75% 40% 100% 60% 40% 105% 62.5% 40% 125% 77.5% 55% 140% 85% 55% 150% 90% 60% 200% 115% 75% Amendment 166, in page 621, leave out lines 8 to 15 and insert— 70% 50% 35% 87.5% 58.75% 40% 100% 60% 40% 105% 62.5% 40% 125% 77.5% 55% 140% 85% 55% 150% 90% 60% 200% 115% 75% Amendment 170, in schedule 22, page 627, line 5, leave out "10%" and insert "15%"