London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 25, 2026

Labour's Tax Crackdown: Boosting HMRC to Fund NHS and School Breakfast Clubs, Raising £5.1bn Annually

Labour plans to fund policies on the NHS and school breakfast clubs by increasing tax collection efforts, promising up to £555m for officials.
This is expected to raise £5.1bn annually.

Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, accused the Conservatives of failing to address tax dodging.

The Conservatives introduced 200 measures to combat tax non-compliance, but the Labour Party cannot yet specify how they will fund their promises without raising taxes.

Labour had previously planned to pay for these pledges by replacing the UK's non-dom tax regime.

The UK government is planning to change tax rules for non-domiciled individuals, who live in the UK but pay taxes in their home country, to fund a cut to National Insurance.

This move has raised questions for the Labour party, which has a self-imposed rule against borrowing for day-to-day spending.

In response, Labour's Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has proposed an alternative plan to increase tax collections.

According to Labour, the tax gap between what is owed and what the government collects was £36bn in the 2021/22 financial year.

The Labour party proposes increasing funding to tackle tax evasion and fraud by investing £555m in hiring more tax officers and digitizing the tax office.

This approach is estimated to raise £5.8bn annually by the end of the parliament.

The National Audit Office head suggested the government could save £6bn yearly by addressing tax evasion and avoidance.

Labour aims to provide HMRC with the necessary resources to investigate tax evaders and modernize the tax office.

HMRC has been calculating the tax gap since 2005.

The text discusses the reduction of the gap between the UK's tax revenue and spending, which has fallen from 7.5% in 2005 to 4.8% in 2021/22.

The Labour party supports the proposed replacement of non-dom rules but suggests strengthening it by including foreign assets held in trust within UK inheritance tax and removing a 50% discount in the first year of the new rules.

These changes could bring in £1bn in one year and £2.6bn over the next Parliament.

The Liberal Democrats believe these changes are not enough and have proposed fully-costed plans to fund care for everyone.

It's common for governments to announce plans to increase revenue by reducing tax avoidance or evasion.

The text discusses the UK government's plan to increase corporation tax to help pay for COVID-19 recovery efforts.

However, the author notes that the Office for Budget Responsibility has expressed uncertainty about how much revenue this measure will actually generate and how quickly it can be brought in.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
High Street Sales Suffer Sharpest Summer Decline in Five Years
Wales Approves Higher Taxes on Second Homes and Long-Term Empty Properties
Environment Agency Imposes Record £150 Million Penalty on Water Companies
UK Competition Watchdog Blocks U.S. Takeover of Cambridge Chip Designer
Scotland Unveils Land Reform Bill to Expand Renewable Energy Projects
Northern Ireland Secures £500 Million Technology Investment for Belfast Cybersecurity Hub
NHS Rolls Out AI Triage System Across Major Hospitals in England
UK Strengthens North Sea Naval Cooperation With European Allies
UK Chancellor Commits £7 Billion to Accelerate Manchester-Leeds Rail Link
Bank of England Signals Interest Rate Cuts After Inflation Falls Below Target
Badenoch Rejects Grant Shapps' Bid to Return as Conservative Candidate
BAE Chief Warns Britain Has Underestimated the Risk of War
Burnham Rules Out New Scottish Independence Referendum in First Talks With Swinney
UK Government Strengthens Northern Economic Agenda Through Manchester Headquarters and Regional Partnerships
United Kingdom Opens New Furness Peninsula Coastal Route Under King Charles the Third England Coast Path
England Reduces Business Costs for Hospitality Sector Through New Relief Package
United Kingdom Allocates Seven Point Three Million Pounds for Zero-Emission Aviation Research
United Kingdom Begins Restoration Works on Portishead Railway Line After Six Decades Without Passenger Services
United States Tariff Measures Create New Trade Challenges for United Kingdom and European Union Businesses
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Meets Scottish and Welsh Leaders to Promote Regional Growth Cooperation
United Kingdom Government Announces Twenty Percent Business Rates Cut for Pubs, Clubs, and Music Venues
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Opens Manchester Government Headquarters to Shift Decision-Making Away From Westminster
United Kingdom Defence Ministry Says Armed Forces Ready After Iran Accuses London Over US Military Strikes
United Kingdom Inflation Falls to Two Point Six Percent as Prime Minister Andy Burnham Gains Economic Breathing Room
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
Viral Video Raises Questions Over Twelve-Dollar Croissants at Manhattan Bakery
UK Balances Security Commitments With Economic Growth Priorities
Retail and Hospitality Sectors Navigate Consumer Caution and Tax Changes
Key Trends to Watch
British Land Appoints Joanne McNamara as New Chief Executive Officer
UK Government Names New Life Peers Including Former Military and Civil Service Leaders
Institute of Directors Urges Government Action on Employment Costs and Skills Shortages
IMF Raises UK 2026 Growth Forecast to One Percent
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows Sharply as Households Cut Discretionary Spending
UK Ten-Year Bond Yields Remain Above Five Percent as Government Faces Higher Debt Costs
UK Government Plans Earlier End to Low-Value Import Duty Exemption for Online Retail Parcels
Reform UK Leads Tight Westminster Voting Poll as Conservatives and Labour Remain Close
Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group Completes First Arctic and North Atlantic Mission Phase
Andy Burnham Government Cuts Business Rates for Pubs and Music Venues by Twenty Percent
UK Inflation Falls to Two Point Six Percent in June as Food and Fuel Prices Ease
Andy Burnham Becomes UK Prime Minister Facing Growth Challenges and Fiscal Pressure
UK Government Reviews Long-Term Balance Between Cost Relief, Industry Support, and Public Investment Priorities
BBC Could Receive Permanent Royal Charter Under Government Proposal
Northern Ireland Proposes End to Severe Weather Exemptions for Electricity Compensation Rules
Andy Burnham Holds Talks With UK Devolved Leaders on Regional Cooperation and Devolution
House of Lords Launches Inquiry Into Risks Facing UK Democratic Institutions
ScottishPower Renewables Plans Major Rebuild of Whitelee Wind Farm With Fewer Larger Turbines
UK and Italy Leaders Discuss Global Combat Air Programme and Future European Cooperation
UK Government Announces Six Hundred Million Pound Aerospace Investment Package at Farnborough Airshow
European Union Approves UK Participation in Ninety Billion Euro Ukraine Support Loan Framework
×