HMRC figures out right now present the tax authority believes small companies at the moment are chargeable for 56% of the UK’s ‘tax hole’ – a complete of £20.2bn in a single yr*, says multinational legislation agency Pinsent Masons.

This determine has now risen for 4 consecutive years. Small companies have been solely believed to be chargeable for 40% of the tax hole in 2017/18 – a complete of £12.8bn.

Steven Porter, Companion and Head of Tax Disputes and Investigations at Pinsent Masons, says: “HMRC is actually shifting its consideration to small companies. It has labored exhausting to scale back the quantity of tax that goes unpaid from massive companies and excessive web price people – but it surely nonetheless has numerous work to do on SMEs.”

“HMRC’s deal with massive companies and rich people signifies that small companies get much less consideration. Investigations into small companies anecdotally usually take longer to finish and issues can persist for years.”

“For instance, there are circumstances of small companies persevering with to make use of tax avoidance schemes for years after they have been just about worn out amongst massive companies and excessive web worths.”

“Small companies that aren’t tax compliant shouldn’t be shocked if they’re investigated by HMRC over the subsequent couple of years. That’s clearly the route that HMRC appears to be like set to enter primarily based on these figures. Getting out forward of that downside by taking skilled recommendation can be an excellent thought at this level.”

Pinsent Masons provides that the general tax hole for the UK held regular at 4.8% of all tax theoretically due, the identical determine as final yr.

The tax hole measures the distinction between the quantity of tax which ought to, in idea, be collected by HMRC and what’s truly collected. A lot of the hole will relate to avoidance and evasion.