Skip to main content

Chair responds to Budget provisions for online vat fraud

22 November 2017

Responding to today's Budget provisions regarding online VAT fraud, Public Accounts Committee Chair Meg Hillier MP said:

"PAC was appalled to see so little action being taken by the Government to protect honest British businesses from the onslaught of VAT-evading companies from China and elsewhere.

Online marketplaces have been complacent about overseas companies evading tax: they have continued to profit from rogue traders while some British businesses have been going to the wall.

Those same rogue traders have proved adept at staying one step ahead of the UK tax authorities, so while I extend a cautious welcome to the measures outlined in the Budget we will be watching closely to see how they are enacted and enforced in practice."

Autumn Budget 2017

The Autumn Budget 2017 is available on HM Treasury's website:

Tackling online VAT fraud and error report

The Committee's Report "Tackling online VAT fraud and error" was published on October 18 2017.

Further information

Image: Parliamentary copyright