"The HMRC investigation into Zahawi began in April 2021, including a meeting with the minister and his advisers in June 2021. Zahawi told the ethics adviser he had “formed the impression” he was simply being asked questions over his tax affairs. But Magnus said Zahawi should have understood he was under serious investigation.
"The minister failed to declare the HMRC investigation to the Treasury’s permanent secretary after his appointment as chancellor by Johnson on 5 July 2022. By that stage the investigation had been ongoing for more than a year; however, Zahawi only updated his declaration on 15 July 2022.
"Zahawi committed a second breach of the ministerial code by failing to disclose the fact he had paid a penalty for tax avoidance when he was first appointed to Liz Truss’s cabinet last September, and then to Sunak’s in October.
"He had reached a settlement with HMRC in August 2022, but it was not until January this year that the details came to light in the media, with the Guardian then told he had paid a penalty imposed by HMRC.
"In his letter to Sunak, the ethics adviser said: “Taken together, I consider that these omissions constitute a serious failure to meet the standards set out in the ministerial code.”
"Zahawi issued a statement the day after his HMRC penalty came to light, saying the tax office had concluded that he had made a “careless but not deliberate” error.
"But his statement raised as many questions as it did answers, and called into doubt earlier remarks including the assurance in July that his taxes were “fully paid and up to date”, and letters from lawyers threatening legal action against reporters who said this was potentially not the case."
www.theguardian.com
"The minister failed to declare the HMRC investigation to the Treasury’s permanent secretary after his appointment as chancellor by Johnson on 5 July 2022. By that stage the investigation had been ongoing for more than a year; however, Zahawi only updated his declaration on 15 July 2022.
"Zahawi committed a second breach of the ministerial code by failing to disclose the fact he had paid a penalty for tax avoidance when he was first appointed to Liz Truss’s cabinet last September, and then to Sunak’s in October.
"He had reached a settlement with HMRC in August 2022, but it was not until January this year that the details came to light in the media, with the Guardian then told he had paid a penalty imposed by HMRC.
"In his letter to Sunak, the ethics adviser said: “Taken together, I consider that these omissions constitute a serious failure to meet the standards set out in the ministerial code.”
"Zahawi issued a statement the day after his HMRC penalty came to light, saying the tax office had concluded that he had made a “careless but not deliberate” error.
"But his statement raised as many questions as it did answers, and called into doubt earlier remarks including the assurance in July that his taxes were “fully paid and up to date”, and letters from lawyers threatening legal action against reporters who said this was potentially not the case."
Nadhim Zahawi sacked as Tory party chair over tax affairs
Rishi Sunak fires Zahawi from cabinet after he was found to have breached ministerial code
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