Institute for Fiscal Studies. Tax Credits

Institute for Fiscal Studies. Tax Credits

Researchers at IFS have analysed and commented on changes to in-work benefits (now delivered through tax credits) in the UK since the 1980s.

More recently, they have closely monitored the development, introduction and emerging outcomes of the child tax credit and working tax credit, introduced in April 2003.

They have also examined the implications of the current government's child poverty target for the generosity of the child tax credit.

30 second guide to… Dividend tax credit

30 second guide to… Dividend tax credit

The Daily Mail City's team take a look at the decision in 1997 that has hurt UK pensions ever since – and is now doing the same to Gordon Brown.

Gordon Brown used his first Budget to launch the most ruthless pensions raid since Robert Maxwell's attack on the Mirror Group funds.

His high-handed move looked savvy at the time, because it delivered a £5bn fillip to the public finances.

But given the storm that has now erupted - just as he prepares to assume the Labour leadership - he may be having second thoughts.

Credit Fraud Costs Taxpayers £1bn

Credit Fraud Costs Taxpayers £1bn Updated: 13:36, Thursday July 12, 2007

(£1,000,000,000.00)

Taxpayers are having to pay out more than £1bn a year because of fraud and mistakes in the tax credit system.

The scale of the losses was "unacceptably high", said the National Audit Office.

Tax credit payout joy

Tax credit payout joy

A RELIEVED Scarborough mother and her family are facing a better Christmas after receiving almost £1,000 from the tax credit system. Katrina Blackmore has thanked the Evening News and Scarborough MP Robert Goodwill for their intervention and the Homeless Support charity for providing food.

Tax credit fraud could total £50m

Tax credit fraud could total £50m

(£50,000,000.00)

David Hencke, Westminster correspondent. Friday June 9, 2006 Guardian Unlimited

Supermarket groups and large manufacturers are now being targeted by organised identity theft gangs as part of a growing tax credit fraud scandal, Guardian Unlimited has learnt.
The scale of the fraud could be 10 times higher than previously thought - at £50m rather than the £5m figure disclosed this week by Sir John Bourn, the comptroller and auditor general.
HM Customs and Excise tax credit fraud strategy board is currently overseeing 40 separate investigations into organised tax credit fraud - most of them in the private sector.

Tax credit overpayment write-off denials 'a scandal'

Tax credit overpayment write-off denials 'a scandal'

HM Revenue & Customs' (HMRC) rejection of requests to have tax credit overpayments written off even though it was responsible for the errors is a 'scandal', a tax body has claimed.
It was revealed last month that the Revenue has dismissed the requests of two-thirds of families to keep overpayments because they occurred as a result of mistakes by the government department.

It is believed the rejections occurred due to HMRC's decision to reintroduce its 'reasonableness test' when assessing overpayments. Under the test, overpayments are only written off if claimants can demonstrate that HMRC was to be blame and it was reasonable for the claimant to have believed their payments were correct.

But the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) said the process is unfair and an independent review of the estimated 100,000 dismissed claims should take place.

More information

Overpaid Tax Credits

Overpaid Tax Credits

Do you have to Repay?
What should you do?
Hardship
Paying Back an Overpayment
Help and Advice

This webpage tells you what to do if you agree that you have been overpaid but do not think that you should have to pay it back.