ACS has responded to the publication of the latest HMRC Tax Gaps report, calling on the government to introduce the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme without further delays.
The total excise duty lost to the Treasury in 2013-14 was estimated at £2.7bn. This included a £0.1bn reduction in duty lost through illicit alcohol, but a £0.1bn increase in the level of duty lost through illicit tobacco sales.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “We are encouraged by the reduction in tax gap for alcohol, but this still represents a significant loss in revenue for the Treasury and remains a problem that harms responsible retailers across the country. ACS believes that the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme is an effective way of tackling alcohol duty fraud, and we urge Government to introduce this measure properly in January. We will continue to work with the Joint Alcohol Anti-Fraud Taskforce to look at effective ways of reducing the level of duty fraud in our sector.”
The full report can be found on the HMRC website here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/469970/HMRC-Measuring-tax-gaps-2015.pdf
ACS will be hosting a FREE Responsible Retailing Forum on 25th November in London which will discuss the measures that retailers can take to ensure the stock they sell is legal and safe. To book your free place, please visit: http://www.acs.org.uk/acs-events/responsible-retailing/
