TAX DODGERS COST US ALL £8.6BN A YEAR

Tory clampdown fail 'hits services'

- MIKEY SMITH C

THE Tories' failure to get a grip on tax cheats is costing the Treasury £8.6billion a year.

The "tax gap" the difference between how much tax is owed and how much is paid - stands at £35.8bn, the most recent Government figures, for 2021-22, show.

The figure is made up of a combination of tax avoidance and evasion, plus negligence and error. And failure to crack down on tax dodgers means it is £5bn higher than it was the previous year.