Written questions by Green.

What estimate she has made of the number of people subject to the loan charge who will have their cases settled following the independent review of the loan charge.

The Government accepted all but one of the independent review’s recommendations and in some cases we are going further. We are legislating a generous new settlement opportunity that will help those who have not yet settled to do so. Most individuals could see reductions of at least 50% in their outstanding loan charge liabilities, and an estimated 30% of individuals could have these liabilities written off entirely.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the mechanisms available to Parliament to hold HMRC to account for the effectiveness of its safeguarding of public money.

HMRC is subject to the same parliamentary scrutiny mechanisms for its stewardship of public resources as other government departments, as set out in HM Treasury's Managing Public Money guidance, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-public-money. This means the department’s annual report and accounts must be produced in line with the requirements set out by HM Treasury, audited by the Comptroller & Auditor General and laid in Parliament. In addition, HMRC's Accounting Officer is directly accountable to Parliament and regularly appears before the Committee of Public Accounts. HMRC is also subject to departmental scrutiny by the Treasury Committee.

What standards and speed of response she expects from HMRC in providing details of settlements reached with companies to hon. Members.

HMRC have a statutory duty of confidentiality to protect information held about taxpayers, so that such information is not passed to unauthorised parties. HMRC’s ability to disclose information held about taxpayers is restricted by the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 (CRCA). Section 18 of CRCA makes clear that HMRC must not disclose information to anyone, unless they have lawful authority to do so. As such HMRC are unable to provide details of any customers’ tax settlements with MPs.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of reviewing the framework for Postponed VAT Accounting to ensure that PVA is not available to companies which have no trading history or security in UK.

Postponed VAT accounting provides significant support for businesses, helping to manage cash flow and facilitate imports. HMRC undertakes regular work to ensure compliance with the rules around postponed VAT accounting.

What estimate she has made of the potential losses to the exchequer as a result of sales made on online market places by companies which trade only for a short period then are closed before VAT arrears can be recovered.

HMRC do not have an estimate of the losses arising as a result of sales made on online marketplaces by companies which trade only for a short period then are closed before VAT arrears can be recovered.

What assessment she has made of the potential meris of removing the Low-Value Imports rule.

The government is aware of the increasing prevalence of overseas retailers using the low value imports regime and the proposed changes to equivalent regimes made by our international partners. In recognition of this, the Chancellor announced a review of the customs treatment for low value imports in April. Since this announcement, Ministers and officials have engaged a wide range of stakeholders on the impact and operation of these arrangements. The findings from this engagement will help determine our next steps.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing VAT exemptions on zero-emission boilers.

The Government is committed to improving the quality and sustainability of our housing stock, through improvements such as low carbon heating, insulation, solar panels, and batteries. Zero-emission boilers are a type of heat battery. Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at five per cent. Decisions on tax policy are taken by the Chancellor and are considered as part of the Budget process.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to business property relief on family-owned property development companies.

The Government published information about the reforms to business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR in 2026-27, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares.BPR is not available to businesses consisting wholly or mainly of dealing in land or buildings. Whether or not a particular property development company will qualify for relief depends on the nature of the business.In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing parents to retrospectively claim National Insurance credits if they were eligible for child benefit but did not claim them.

The Government keeps all tax policy under review.

What steps she is taking to ensure effective enforcement of the UK's financial sanctions regime for UK companies suspected of breaching sanctions on Russian oil.

The action taken by the UK and its Coalition partners to limit Russian energy revenues is having a significant impact, with data from Russia’s Ministry of Finance showing there was a 30% reduction in Russian government tax revenues from oil in 2023 compar...

If she will make it her policy to reduce beer duty in line with cider.

Alcohol duties collectively raise over £12bn a year, helping to fund vital public services and addressing the harms caused to society and public health by excessive or irresponsible drinking.Under the recent alcohol duty reforms, there remains a small num...

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing early access penalty for lifetime ISAs from 25% to 20%.

The Lifetime ISA (LISA) was set up to help people build up savings for buying their first home, or for their later life. LISA funds, including any Government bonus, can be withdrawn for the purchase of a first home under £450,000, in the case of terminal illness, or from the age of 60.Any unauthorised withdrawals are subject to a 25% withdrawal charge. This recoups the Government bonus, any interest or growth arising from it, and a proportion of the individual’s initial savings. Reducing the withdrawal charge would encourage the use of LISAs in ways for which they were not intended.The Lifetime ISA is set at an appropriate level to support most first-time buyers across the UK while targeting households that may find it most difficult to get onto the property ladder. Data from the latest UK House Price Index demonstrates that the average price paid by first-time buyers remains below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK.The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review, and considers all representations made carefully, with any changes made as part of the Budget process.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the lifetime ISA property value limit.

The Lifetime ISA (LISA) was set up to help people build up savings for buying their first home, or for their later life. LISA funds, including any Government bonus, can be withdrawn for the purchase of a first home under £450,000, in the case of terminal illness, or from the age of 60.Any unauthorised withdrawals are subject to a 25% withdrawal charge. This recoups the Government bonus, any interest or growth arising from it, and a proportion of the individual’s initial savings. Reducing the withdrawal charge would encourage the use of LISAs in ways for which they were not intended.The Lifetime ISA is set at an appropriate level to support most first-time buyers across the UK while targeting households that may find it most difficult to get onto the property ladder. Data from the latest UK House Price Index demonstrates that the average price paid by first-time buyers remains below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK.The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review, and considers all representations made carefully, with any changes made as part of the Budget process.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of removing the VAT exemption on independent school fees on (a) families within the armed forces community and (b) families in receipt of the Continuity of Education Allowance.

The Government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity, ensuring every child has access to high-quality education, which is why we have made the tough decision to end tax breaks for private schools. This will raise revenue for essential public services, including investing in the education system. The Government has set out the details of this policy in the technical note Applying VAT to private School Fees and Removing the Business Rates Charitable Rates Relief for Private Schools. There are a small number of circumstances where the government contributes to the private school fees of children of UK military service personnel and UK diplomatic officials through the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA). The government will monitor closely the impact of these policy changes on affected military and diplomatic families, with the upcoming Spending Review being the right time to consider any changes to this scheme. A technical consultation on the technical note and draft VAT legislation will be open until 15 September 2024.

What steps she plans to take to ensure that the needs of children receiving specific provision for SEND within the private school system are taken into account as part of any consultation to introduce VAT on fees.

The Government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity, ensuring every child has access to high-quality education, which is why we have made the tough decision to end tax breaks for private schools. This will raise revenue for essential public services, including investing in the state education system. The Prime Minister has been clear that if a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan that requires them to attend a private school because their needs cannot be met in the state sector, they will not feel an impact from VAT being charged on fees. The Chancellor has also been clear that changes will not come into force until 2025. Further details on this policy will be set out in due course. The Government engages with a wide range of stakeholders with an interest in Government policy, including VAT, as part of the policy development and implementation process as a matter of course.

What plans she has for consultation of key stakeholders that may be affected by the introduction of VAT on private school fees.

The Government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity, ensuring every child has access to high-quality education, which is why we have made the tough decision to end tax breaks for private schools. This will raise revenue for essential public services, including investing in the state education system. The Prime Minister has been clear that if a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan that requires them to attend a private school because their needs cannot be met in the state sector, they will not feel an impact from VAT being charged on fees. The Chancellor has also been clear that changes will not come into force until 2025. Further details on this policy will be set out in due course. The Government engages with a wide range of stakeholders with an interest in Government policy, including VAT, as part of the policy development and implementation process as a matter of course.