HMRC have provided more details of the New Disclosure Opportunity (NDO) which is due to take place from 1 September 2009 to 12 March 2010. The NDO is for people with unpaid tax connected to offshore accounts and assets and will give the taxpayers one final opportunity to disclose.

To encourage taxpayers to disclose undeclared offshore income and gains, the penalty level has been set at 10%. HMRC hope that the low penalty will encourage taxpayers to come forward.

Although the NDO period runs until 12 March 2010 initial contact must be made to HMRC by 30 November 2009.

Dave Hartnett, HMRC Permanent Secretary for Tax, said:
 
“I know there are people who regret not taking advantage of our Offshore Disclosure Facility (ODF) in 2007 which focused primarily on the customers of five large banks. Now everybody who has not paid the tax they should in relation to offshore accounts or assets has this New Disclosure Opportunity to pay what they owe with penalties on more favourable terms than normal.”

“The procedure is simple and straightforward. Customers will be able to contact us on paper or through a dedicated area of our website. This will be the last opportunity of its kind.”