HMRC aimed to move more customers online thereby reducing staff costs but significant numbers of staff were let go before technical improvements were completed leading to a collapse in service quality in 2015. Services have since improved.
There are more than 1000 tax reliefs in the UK tax system. The NAO intends to carry out future work evaluating how they are developed and implemented.
The Department for Work & Pensions should have increased its focus on Housing Benefit fraud and error sooner, and is now facing an escalating problem.
This Departmental Overview is one of 17 we have produced covering our work on each major government department. It summarises our work on the HM Revenue & Customs 2012-13
HM Treasury and HMRC do not keep track of tax reliefs intended to change behaviour, or adequately report to Parliament on whether tax reliefs work as expected.
Within the programme of improvement already started by HMRC, the NAO helped ensure that, in January 2013, HMRC committed to improving customer service.
This NAO impacts case study represents one example where there has been some beneficial change, whether financial or non-financial, resulting from our involvement.
Review of a sample of the data systems underpinning the input and impact indicators in HM Revenue & Customs’ Business Plan, Common Areas of Spend and wider management information.
This review was carried out on the 2012-15 Business Plan. Revised Business Plans were issued in June 2013.
The report details progress by HMRC in stabilising and operating the PAYE service and its progress towards the implementation of its new Real Time Information service. The report also covers HMRC’s performance in tackling VAT fraud, and in reducing error and fraud in personal tax credits.
Tobacco smuggling is a significant threat to tax revenues. HMRC’s renewed strategy sets out the right measures but the Department’s performance is disappointing.
The report covers HMRC’s progress in operating the PAYE service, its implementation of its new Real Time Information service and its performance in tax collection and in reducing error and fraud in personal tax credits.
Review of a sample of the data systems underpinning the input and impact indicators in HM Revenue & Customs’ Business Plan, Common Areas of Spend and wider management information.
Government is owed a large amount of money but has no overall view of its debt reduction objectives nor of the financial risk that the debt poses.
HMRC is making some headway in reducing opportunities for tax avoidance, but over 100 new schemes have been disclosed in each of the last four years.
This Departmental Overview is one of 15 we are producing covering our work on each major government department. It summarises our work on HM Revenue and Customs during 2011-12.
Following review by a former tax judge, the NAO concludes that all five settlements were reasonable but there is concern over the settlement processes.
Not all local authorities’ Council Tax support scheme will achieve the objectives outlined by the Department of Communities and Local Government.
HMRC has improved its approach to tackling error and fraud in tax credits but still lost £2.3 billion in 2010-11.
HMRC’s progress in stabilising the PAYE service, its performance in managing tax debt; and its progress in tackling tax credit overpayment.
A major HMRC programme to improve the way it tackles evasion delivered £4.32 billion of additional tax yield, reduced staff numbers and improved compliance work. However the Department is not yet exploiting the full potential of its new systems.
In 2011-12 HMRC maintained its performance while reducing staff and spending but it is too early to tell what the long-term impact of cost reduction will be.