House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement
Follower Notices and Penalties
16 December 2020 · Treasury
Proposed by Jesse Norman Con Hereford and South Herefordshire
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
At a glance
Key points
- Government is proposing to reduce the penalty for not responding to a Follower Notice from fifty percent to thirty percent.
- An additional twenty percent charge will be applied only if disputes proceed to litigation and are deemed unreasonable.
- Consultation document is available until January 27, 2021.
Issue summary
The Government is addressing concerns about the Follower Notice regime by proposing changes to penalties.
Action requested
I am announcing a consultation document that proposes reducing the penalty for not responding to a Follower Notice from fifty per cent to thirty per cent, with an additional twenty per cent chargeable only if disputes proceed to litigation and are deemed unreasonable. The consultation is available until January 27, 2021.
Key facts
- Government introduced Follower Notice regime in Finance Act 2014.
- House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee recommended abolishing penalties for Follower Notices in December 2018.
- HMRC will examine possibility of providing greater judicial oversight of the Follower Notice safeguards.
- Consultation proposes to reduce penalty from fifty per cent to thirty per cent and an additional twenty per cent if disputes proceed to litigation deemed unreasonable.
- Consultation document published on https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/follower-notices-and-penalties.
- Consultation runs until January 27, 2021.
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