Thread by @keithmgordon

Do you @jesse_norman really believe that "the several billion pounds" trumps human life? I thought you were better than that.

Even leaving humanity aside, your briefing is wholly incorrect and should make you further question the reliability of what officials are saying.

TBC

@Jesse_Norman First, there is no tax due (let alone several billion pounds). There is undoubtedly some money which HMRC believe should previously have been paid but which in most cases has not even yet been assessed by HMRC. Therefore, it is NOT due in law.

TBC ...

Secondly, it was and remains due from the workers' employers. That is the whole point of PAYE which puts the burdens on employers and largely allows employees to ignore their tax obligations.

(Before qualifying for the Bar, I worked for Inland Revenue and wrote the PAYE rules.)

So there is really no justification for hounding employees many years down the line.

Thirdly, the several billion pounds you now cite does not sit comfortably with the other attempts by HMRC to downplay the significance of the loan charge.

When it suits them they say that "only" 50,000 people are affected (ignoring families) and the average bill will be £13,000.

As HMRC statistics are so obviously unreliable, no thinking person can readily trust anything else they put out to justify the loan charge.
Especially as they constantly fail to acknowledge their own failings which are a major cause of this mess despite
@DavidDavisMP raising it.

@DavidDavisMP When you were minister for transport, suppose there had been an enquiry into safety of 747s. The comment below suggests you would let them carry on flying pending the outcome of the enquiry.

I consider that to be worrying. Others might say reckless.