Unnecessary taxation payments rise to £10bn

Date: 12th March 2009

Unnecessary taxation payments in the UK have risen to a total of £10 billion, new figures have revealed.

An investigation by the financial comparison website Unbiased.co.uk found that four-fifths of individuals have done nothing to reduce the amount of taxation they pay.

The website recommended that those who think they may be paying too much consult a local accountant as soon as possible.

Chief executive of Unbiased.co.uk, David Elms, said: "It is alarming how little people are doing to take advantage of the tax incentives, reliefs and credits available to them and to avoid being hit by fines for basic mistakes."

He added that the average person would unnecessarily pay more than £190 in taxation this year, depending on their financial and lifestyle choices.

Sole traders struggling with taxation matters were last month given a major boost with the launch of a series of new online advice videos from HM Revenue and Customs.