UK A warning about the surrender of secret offshore account details to Revenue & Customs has been sent to 27,000 bank customers, in a last-minute push by the tax authority to draw attention to its “last chance” amnesty for evaders.
The letters mark an effort to ratchet up awareness of the “new disclosure opportunity” under which evaders pay reduced penalties and face a lower risk of prosecution. Advisers report that take-up of the scheme has been low, leading to speculation that the registration period, which expires in 10 days time, will be extended. The letters say the Revenue has demonstrated that “some, though not necessarily all” UK customers with accounts outside Britain used them to evade tax.
