From: Out-Law.com
Commercial property landlords could be forced to actively inspect their properties and police tenants suspected of tobacco and other excise duty evasion under plans proposed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), an expert has warned.
The proposal, which is included among potential new sanctions to tackle tobacco duty evasion and other excise duty evasion, is “another example of HMRC pushing the burden of policing tax compliance onto businesses themselves”, according to tax disputes expert Stuart Walsh of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com.
“Tobacco duty evasion is a criminal offence and, as such, it is a matter for HMRC and the police to deal with, not businesses,” he said.
