Taxman to gain automatic entry to homes of the self-employed
HMRC is to gain new powers under the Finance Bill 2008 which will grant its inspectors automatic access to the homes of self-employed individuals.
The inspectors will be able to enter the homes of the self-employed if part of their home is for business use. The Finance Bill is set to waive the need for HMRC to give 24 hours' notice to a self-employed individual it decides to inspect.
Critics of the new law are concerned about how HMRC advisers will act within the law, given that they cannot access all areas of a person's property; they can only access the parts of a residence which are used for business purposes.
