Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 July 2026. It was answered by Dan Tomlinson (Labour) on Wednesday, 15 July 2026 on behalf of the Treasury.

---

Import Duties: Tax Allowances

Question

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HM Revenue and Customs' press release entitled Government backs high street with acceleration of cheap import reforms and crackdown on dodgy online sellers, published on 23 June 2026, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the current online marketplace VAT regime in preventing tax avoidance.

Answer

HMRC has estimated that the current online marketplace VAT regime has raised more than £8 billion, and continues to raise an estimated £1.8 billion per year, in combination with the removal of low value consignment relief (see Extending VAT online marketplace liability to combat non-compliance, chapter 3. Introduction).

---

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

16820

Session

2026-27

Subjects

China Internet Import duties Reform Tax allowances Tax avoidance VAT Retail trade

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk