Warwickshire chartered accountants and business advisers, Burgis & Bullock, are warning businesses and individuals to be wary of a new identity scam.

The bogus “Inland Revenue final tax amnesty notification” mentions that the government has announced an unprecedented amnesty for hundreds of thousands of people with offshore assets, including holiday homes, as it seeks to recover billions of pounds in unpaid tax.  It contains personal data about the recipient and also requests completion of a form which collects additional personal information.

Deborah Allan, a Tax Manager at Burgis & Bullock, comments: “Although the Inland Revenue are aware of this scam, we would urge all businesses and individuals to be extremely careful.  The notification falsely implies that taxpayers will be given two months to declare any unpaid tax on rent from foreign properties and that anyone coming forward will be charged a reduced penalty compared to 100% in normal circumstances.  This is particularly worrying as the recipient may hastily provide their personal information in order to avoid paying a penalty.

“It is worth remembering that there is an Inland Revenue scheme already operating under the same heading as this bogus scam.  This offers a safeguard to people who have previously registered to be part of that scheme as they will not receive unsolicited requests for large amount of personal information.

“Should anyone be concerned about any paperwork or forms asking for personal information, we would urge them to seek advice before completing or returning the details.”

For further information on the Inland Revenue scam, please contact Deborah Allan or any member of the Burgis & Bullock Tax Team on 01926 451000.