Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO)
Plans were announced in the Budget of 2004 to merge the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise into a new department called Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
“The Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005” was introduced to make room for the appointment of Commissioners to exercise the function previously vested in the Commissioners of Inland Revenue and the Commissioners of Customs and Excise.
The act also established a new Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office.
The Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO) can prosecute HMRC cases in England and Wales implementing a key recommendation in the Butterfield Review.
The creation of the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office will:
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- Demonstrate the full independence of the prosecutors and ensure that the public have confidence in their credibility and integrity.
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- Introduce external scrutiny of criminal investigation work.
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- Improve standards and effectiveness.
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- Make the staff of the office, through the director, accountable to the Attorney General.
The Attorney General at the time, Lord Goldsmith said…
“Public confidence in the Criminal Justice System is crucial. The establishment of RCPO, responsible for the prosecution of all Revenue and Customs cases in England and Wales and accountable to me, is an important step to ensure there is an effective and fully independent prosecution authority dealing with many of the most difficult and complex cases in the Criminal Justice System.”
The merger is effective from April 2005 after Royal Assent to the Bill.
KinsellaTax have over 120 years’ experience in handling these worrying, complex tax investigations.
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For a consultation with one of our Tax Experts, call KinsellaTax on 0800 471 4546
We will help you throughout the HMRC Investigation, so you can concentrate on running your business and enjoying your private life.
