EDM 1579: Loan Charge and settlement terms offered to large companies and individuals

That this House is deeply concerned at the treatment of those facing the Loan Charge; notes that instead of commissioning a truly independent review of the Loan Charge, Ministers announced a highly restricted review, conducted by a former Assistant Director of HMRC, Ray McCann, only looking at settlement terms; expresses astonishment at the fact, exposed by a Freedom of Information response, that HMRC did a deal with large companies over similar schemes for just 15% in 2015, which means they received an 85% discount; is deeply concerned that this has never been revealed to Parliament; notes that this was revealed privately to Sir Amyas Morse, Baron Morse, in 2019 by Ray McCann who also stated that HMRC had refused to offer any discounts to contractors and was treating them uniquely harshly; further notes that HMRC has a duty to treat all taxpayers equally and believes that its treatment of those facing the Loan Charge breaches this; also notes that current Treasury Ministers have described those facing the Loan Charge as victims of mis-selling, yet the Loan Charge remains in place focused on the victims and that those who mis-sold schemes face no action; notes that HMRC has referred ten suicides and 13 attempted suicides to the Independent Office of Policy Conduct; believes that had HMRC offered an 85% discount to the victims of mis-selling there would have been no suicides; and calls for a proper independent inquiry into the Loan Charge scandal.