“There is a real problem with people simply not paying their tax, and the rest of us pick up the bill,” he added.
The Association of Taxation Technicians urged HMRC to resolve its own operational shortcomings before wielding such powers.
Jon Stride, chair of the ATT’s Technical Steering Group, said: “We have heard of debts being pursued while claims are still outstanding because of HMRC delays or errors, as well as difficulties contacting HMRC to resolve queries.”
Fiona Fernie, a partner at tax firm Blick Rothenberg, warned that disagreements between HMRC and taxpayers are frequently far from clear-cut.
“The more direct and possibly automated the recovery process is, the greater the risk that innocent taxpayers get money deducted from their account before the liability question is fully resolved,” she said.