Renewed Alcohol Strategy: A Progress Report: HM Revenue & Customs

HC 1702, Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Session 2010-12

Author:

National Audit Office (NAO)

Publisher:

TSO (The Stationery Office)

Price: £8.75

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'Renewed Alcohol Strategy: A Progress Report: HM Revenue & Customs (HC 1702)' looks at how the renewed strategy for dealing with alcohol duty fraud, which now covers wine and beer as well as spirits, is a significant improvement on the previous.

However there has been no tangible success achieved in working with the industry to disrupt the illegal diversion of duty-unpaid alcohol back into the UK market. The Department estimates that the amount lost to alcohol duty evasion could be as much as £1.2 billion in 2009-10, a significant rise from £850 million in 2008-09.

According to the report, there has been no success in reducing the volume of alcohol legally moved to other EU countries with excise duties unpaid, but then diverted back into the UK for illegal sale.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) launched its current strategy in April 2009, to take effect from 1 April 2010, but it has no explicit objective to increase the number and impact of criminal investigations and prosecutions. There is also insufficient quality, depth and analysis in the performance information used to inform delivery of the strategy.

HMRC exceeded its key financial objective for 2010-11, but analysis indicates that £43 million of the total £476 million reported as financial benefits were not defensible because of poor quality assurance processes.

HMRC has made minimal progress working with the industry to secure alcohol supply chains, but during the period 2010-11, the quantity of alcohol seizures increased to almost 10 million litres - an increase of 61%.

Extent	27 pages	ISBN	9780102975345
Size	A4	Price	£8.75
Format	Paperback	Published	25 Jan 2012
Availability	Colour copy: 3 - 5 days	Delivery	Delivery options and charges