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Treasury Select Committee report confirms HMRC needs more resource not less, says ARC

ARC has today published its response to the Treasury Select Committee's (TSC's) report on Closing the Tax Gap: HMRC's record at ensuring tax compliance. ARC - the Association of Revenue and Customs - is the union representing senior HMRC staff and is part of the FDA.

ARC President Gareth Hills said: "On 9 March, the TSC published a comprehensive report into a complex area. ARC's response is equally comprehensive on issues such as the tax gap. But there is a thread in the TSC findings which goes to the heart of the case that ARC and the FDA have been making consistently. And that is: to close the tax gap, to tackle the determined avoiders and evaders, to ensure its tax compliance activity is successful and effective - HMRC needs more resource, not less."

The full ARC response can be read at May 2012: ARC response to TSC report on Closing the Tax Gap - HMRC's record at ensuring tax compliance.

Notes for editors

1. The Association of Revenue and Customs (ARC) is a union representing senior staff in HM Revenue and Customs, including tax inspectors, accountants, lawyers, managers and other leading professionals. ARC represents around 2,600 members in HMRC at grade 7 and above, and also trainees in grade 7 entry schemes. It is also a section of the FDA.

2. The FDA is the trade union and professional body representing 19,000 of the UK's senior civil and public servants. Our members include policy advisors, senior managers, tax inspectors, economists, statisticians, accountants, special advisers, government lawyers, diplomats, crown prosecutors and NHS managers.

3. The FDA (formerly the First Division Association) should be referred to simply as "The FDA" and can be described as "the senior public servants' union".

4. ARC's Defeat the Deficit campaign was launched in 2010. Being Bold - ARC's report on how the tax gap could be closed - can be found here.

5. For further information contact:

  • Gareth Hills, ARC President, tel: 020 7401 5555 or 07870 592356.
  • Oliver Rowe, FDA Communications Manager, tel: 020 7401 5588 or 07590 838696.

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