Tax avoidance schemes: accelerated payments

Those who use a disclosed avoidance scheme on this list may be required to pay an upfront payment of tax called an accelerated payment. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) gives an avoidance scheme a scheme reference number (SRN) when a promoter notifies HMRC of the scheme under the rules for disclosing a tax avoidance scheme (DOTAS) [See additional links below] . Users will need to make an accelerated payment of tax to HMRC on some DOTAS schemes while the scheme is under dispute with HMRC. Users of those schemes with a reference number on the linked list above are those who may receive a notice to make an accelerated payment. For an Accelerated Payment notice to be issued for any specific scheme included on this list, the criteria in the legislation will need to be met. HMRC began to phase in the issue of notices in August 2014. The list contains SRNs rather than scheme names as taxpayers will have used this to identify their use of an avoidance scheme when completing their Self-Assessment return. Promoters of avoidance schemes are also not required to disclose scheme names to HMRC. The SRN is all the user will need in order to identify whether their scheme is on the list. If you cannot remember your SRN, contact your agent or advisor, or HMRC on 03000 530435. If you want to settle an avoidance issue now please call HMRC on 03000 530435. If you are a High Net Worth Unit or Large Business customer, please contact your Customer Relationship Manager. If you have a query about the linked list of SRNs, please call HMRC on 03000 530435. The accelerated payment regime was announced at Budget 2014, (Accelerated payments of tax for avoidance schemes) [See additional links below] and has been brought into law in Finance Act 2014, Part 4 [See additional links below] . It’s been introduced to tackle the very small minority of taxpayers who use tax avoidance schemes. Find out more about how HMRC deals with Tax Avoidance on HMRC’s Tax Avoidance pages [See additional links below]. If you are worried that you may be involved in tax avoidance but don’t appear to have an SRN, please read HMRC’s Tempted by Tax Avoidance pages [See additional links below]. They give some common indicators for avoidance. HMRC also publishes Spotlights [See additional links below], a warning on current avoidance issues. Guidance on the measures brought into law can be found here, http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/specialist/acc-pymts-f-notices.pdf . [See additional links below]. ..