Debt Collecting

As for all the heavily indebted taxpayers of Britain, the New Year has brought the dear old HMRC something of a debt hangover.

Last year's extravagance, namely mounting the largest and most costly police investigation ever for lost property has now come back to haunt the HMRC.

Scotland Yard is demanding that HM Revenue & Customs foots this record bill for the police force's hunt for the missing data discs, containing 25 million child-benefit records.

The Metropolitan Police stated that it will seek full costs from HMRC.

The investigation has cost tens of thousands of pounds, and has used more resources than would be used in a major murder investigation.

The HMRC had previously guaranteed to cover the "incremental" costs of the police investigation, such as overtime, accommodation and travel expenses.

At one point the police had 47 detectives from the Specialist and Economic Crime Command on the job.

They searched NAO offices, two HMRC premises and other government buildings, the Royal Mail depot in Belfast, four TNT depots and a rubbish tip in Kent.

The discs were never found.

However, HMRC are not worried.

Why should they?

The taxpayer will end up footing the bill.

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