Context
Over 1,200 tax reliefs are currently in place, amounting to hundreds of billions of foregone revenue for the Treasury. The government has detailed costings for only 350 out of these.
Question
The Minister detailed that about 350 reliefs have been assessed, but my understanding is that more than 1,200 tax reliefs are on the books, amounting to hundreds of billions of foregone revenue for the Treasury. Given that the Treasury examined the spending of all Departments in detail over the summer, I wondered whether it was considering applying the same level of scrutiny to itself.
Answer from Dan Tomlinson (Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury)
It is worth noting that some 800 of the 1,200 reliefs mentioned ensure that the tax system operates as intended by defining the scope of tax correctly and that it operates fairly and simply. I am sorry to disappoint the hon. Member, but I will not be able to comment specifically on any changes that we may or may not make to tax reliefs—any decisions will, of course, be announced at the Budget, which is not today.
Not addressed: The specific request for a zero-based review was not directly addressed; instead, the minister provided a general statement about the importance and function of many reliefs.
How: I Am Sorry To Disappoint The Hon. Member
Was this summary accurate? Tell us
How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)