As part of its update process, HMRC has updated its guidance on what they’re doing about mini umbrella fraud.
HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service is using both its civil and criminal powers to challenge those involved in mini umbrella company fraud and those facilitating it.
HMRC has deregistered tens of thousands of mini umbrella companies who they believed were involved in one or both of the following:
- exploiting the VAT Flat Rate scheme
- exploiting Employment Allowance
Where investigations established that a business in the supply chain knew, or should have known, that there was fraud, HMRC has taken steps to deny other businesses in the same labour supply chain the right to recover VAT input tax. Input tax is the VAT added to the cost when a person or business buys goods or services that have a VAT liability.
In 2017, HMRC introduced the Trader of Limited Cost Legislation after seeing a surge in the number of mini umbrella companies. This helped to remove a number of businesses setting up mini umbrella companies. This reduced the number of mini umbrella companies.
HMRC has been working with and continues to collaborate with trade bodies and other government departments to raise awareness of the mini umbrella company fraud model.
For all updates and information on the subject please see here:
