Chancellor Jeremy Hunt found himself in hot water after a seemingly minor typing error during Parliamentary proceedings revealed he had submitted his tax return past the deadline.
The Cabinet minister was responding to a question from Labour's Dame Angela Eagle about whether he had ever filed his tax return late when he inadvertently exposed his own compliance record.
The Tell-Tale Typo
In his written response, Mr Hunt stated: "I have never not submitted a tax return." However, eagle-eyed observers quickly noticed this double negative actually meant the opposite of what was intended.
The grammatical blunder effectively confirmed that the Chancellor had indeed submitted all his returns, but the awkward phrasing raised questions about whether some had been filed after the January 31st deadline.
Political Fallout
Labour's Dame Angela Eagle didn't miss the opportunity to highlight the error, telling the Mirror: "For the Chancellor in charge of our economy to make such a schoolboy error in a formal written answer is embarrassing enough. But for it to reveal he has filed his own tax return late is deeply concerning."
The revelation comes at a sensitive time for the government, which has been emphasizing fiscal responsibility and compliance.
HMRC's Stance on Late Filing
While filing tax returns after the deadline can result in penalties from HMRC, the tax authority does allow for legitimate excuses. First-time offenders or those with reasonable explanations may avoid fines, though repeat late-filers face increasingly severe penalties.
A Treasury spokesperson later attempted to clarify the situation, stating the Chancellor had always been fully tax compliant, but failed to directly address whether any returns had been submitted after the deadline.
The incident serves as a reminder that in the digital age, even the smallest errors can have significant political consequences when under Parliamentary scrutiny.
