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  GaryC - I would be rather more worried if a HMRC estimate was actually right for a change..... Just because they think they might get this or that does not mean they have the legal powers approved by parliament to get it.
  
  Tax avoidance is not a cost to taxpayers at all, it is taxpayers exercising their rights to protect their property often in small ways but also in many much larger ways.
  
  What about those people who, through lack of knowledge or because they have not obtained advice are actually paying too much tax?
  
  It works both ways. not a week goes by when I do not save people tax and I am not an accountant and no, this is not rich people either, people just like most who read this forum. Some examples of what I find daily of people paying too much tax because they do not know better....
  
  Former Labour Chancellor (Mr make the rich pips squeek) Denis Healey once said that inheritance tax is a voluntary tax and he was right. Far too many people do not arrange their affairs is well tried and tested, legal ways, to mitigate and reduce these liabilities.
  
  Far too many couple have their savings in the name of the taxpaying husband (usually) when the interest could be tax free in the name of the non-earning spouse. Then there are ISAs - again far too many are not taking advantage of the tax benefits. Pensions, we have a whole generation of people who have missed out of tax relief on contributions.
  
  What about a family with all the pension saving in the earning husband's name. At retirement he could be a taxpayer while his wife will have tax allowance to spare - I had a case like that last week.
  
  HMRC are getting much more than that £30bn more than they think they should because of all this, I can assure you. A double edged sword that argument of yours.
  
  This is why the tax system needs simplifying as much as it is needed to eliminate complex and sophisticated tax avoidance methods. Flat and low simple taxes are fairer and will increase revenue to HMRC while also boosting growth eliminating many anomalies that often discourage investment.

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