“Tax evasion is a criminal offence,” declared Victoria Atkins, the Conservative Candidate for Louth & Horncastle, “I have prosecuted many people for tax evasion and fraud. In each case, I made the point that those who evade tax are placing a greater burden on law-abiding and hard-working taxpayers who do pay taxes.”
The Conservative Candidate for Louth & Horncastle was speaking to local Conservatives about the recent furore surrounding HSBC - which happened on the last Labour Government’s watch - and how it highlights the need to protect hard-working taxpayers.
“Some people seek proper advice on how to minimise their tax bill legally, which includes investing in ISAs and pension schemes. However, the alleged tax evasion seen in the HSBC debacle is a very different matter.
“Those who evade tax should face the full force of the law. Questions should be asked about some of the poor-value tax deals struck by HMRC. We also need to look at reforming our unnecessarily complicated tax structure as soon as possible.”