PCS responds to announcement of 5,000 extra HMRC staff

In her speech to Labour Party Conference in Liverpool today, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said; "We will end the non-dom tax loopholes and we will crack down on tax avoidance and tax evasion.  That is the difference that a Labour government will make.

"We are already delivering on that last promise to cut down on tax avoidance and tax evasion, strengthening the powers of HMRC, under the leadership of the Exchequer Secretary James Murray and recruiting 5,000 new tax compliance officers.  
"Because this government will not sit back and indulge the minority who avoid paying the taxes that they owe."

PCS welcomes the announcement of the additional staffing and we have already requested early discussions with Revenue and Customs management about where these additional recruits will be brought in, how they will be trained and deployed.

PCS Revenue and Customs group secretary Steve Swainston said: "Our members in Revenue and Customs do a tremendously important job ensuring tax is collected effectively and efficiently to pay for vital public services which have been chronically underfunded by successive governments. The announcement of additional staff to alleviate some of the workload pressure on members is welcomed by PCS and we are confident the new recruits will play a vital role in cutting tax avoidance. PCS has been calling for additional staff to close the almost £40billion tax gap of underpaid tax for many years." 

"We are seeking discussions with the employer to understand their plans and agree how they can be supported to both provide the best service to the public and to support our existing members."