Taskforce targets Blackpool holiday industry
A specialist HMRC taskforce has recently been targeting tax evasion in the Blackpool holiday industry. HMRC taskforces are comprised of multiple teams from across HMRC including special investigations, local compliance and criminal investigation units. The taskforces use local knowledge and risk profiling to help create a list of businesses to target. The taskforces also use special software to uncover business areas where tax evasion is common place as well as to target specific businesses.
More than 50 officers from HMRC, supported by Blackpool Council Trading Standards and Lancashire Constabulary, visited 64 premises on Friday 1st of November as part of this campaign.
Commenting on the move, Chris Brett, HMRC’s Blackpool Taskforce leader, said:
‘This is part of wider HMRC taskforce activity, concentrating on caravan parks, hotels, bed and breakfasts, pubs, takeaways, restaurants, and licensed grocers in Blackpool, the Lake District and North Wales. Working with our partners to share intelligence, 64 traders had their businesses spot-checked.’
Businesses that are fully compliant should have nothing to worry about, but any business that has deliberately evaded tax should be seriously concerned. HMRC has the legal power to conduct unannounced visits to business premises and inspect business records.