asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total of capital gains tax and capital transfer tax written-off during the last two fiscal years as being irrecoverable; and what criteria are laid down in his Department for the determination of what is and what is not irrecoverable assessed tax.
Tax is written off as irrecoverable when it remains unpaid after all the possibilities of collection action have been exhausted. The amounts written off in the last two accounting years in respect of each tax were:
Capital gains tax:
year ended 31st October 1976 £708,000
31st October 1977 £907,000 (provisional)
Capital transfer tax and Estate Duty:
year ended 31st March 1977 £151,000*
31st March 1978 £256,000 (provisional)
* NOTE. The figure of £151,000 for the year ended 31st March 1977 was wholly in respect of estate duty. No breakdown is yet available of the figure for the year ended 31st March 1978.