Marco Verch via flickr
The Internal Revenue Service received 15,000 complaints from 'whistleblowers,' or employees or former employees who disclose malfeasance or crimes at their employers, between April 2021 and April 2022. In the year prior to the pandemic, there were 8,900 and 13,600 complaints of this nature, respectively.
According to experts contacted by the Financial Times, to blame for the issue is the rise in complaints about fraudulent use of business support programs implemented by HMRC since the pandemic started. The government spent £4.5 billion on programs like the self-employed support program and the pandemic job preservation program.
HMRC reports that 38% of all complaints during the most recent tax year required additional tax authorities examination. According to HMRC, 64,000 warnings were issued to businesses last year for breaking the laws for pandemic support. This led to the recovery of $22 million, while the opening of 28,000 fraud investigations led to the recovery of $204 million.
source: ft.com
According to experts contacted by the Financial Times, to blame for the issue is the rise in complaints about fraudulent use of business support programs implemented by HMRC since the pandemic started. The government spent £4.5 billion on programs like the self-employed support program and the pandemic job preservation program.
HMRC reports that 38% of all complaints during the most recent tax year required additional tax authorities examination. According to HMRC, 64,000 warnings were issued to businesses last year for breaking the laws for pandemic support. This led to the recovery of $22 million, while the opening of 28,000 fraud investigations led to the recovery of $204 million.
source: ft.com
