CH184140 - Dishonest tax agents: penalty for dishonest conduct: disclosure: overview
One of the factors that we consider when deciding the amount of the penalty for dishonest conduct, see CH184080, is whether the tax agent made a disclosure of the dishonest conduct.
If the tax agent makes a disclosure, the amount of penalty depends on
- whether the disclosure was unprompted or prompted, see CH184160, and
- the quality of the disclosure, CH184240.
A tax agent can affect the quality of disclosure by
- telling us about the dishonest conduct (telling), see CH184300,
- giving us reasonable help in quantifying the amount of tax unpaid because of the dishonest conduct (helping), see CH184400, and
- allowing us access to records for the purpose of checking how much tax is unpaid because of the dishonest conduct (giving access), see CH184420.
Unless there is a special reduction, see CH184500, the minimum penalty for dishonest conduct is £5,000, even if the tax agent makes a disclosure.
Whether any disclosure is unprompted or prompted it is still possible for a dishonest tax agent only to be charged the minimum penalty, and thereby avoid having their details published, see CH186000+.