Has HMRC set-up a Behavioural Science Unit (BSU)

Trevor Price made this Freedom of Information request to HM Revenue and Customs This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

The request was partially successful.

Dear HM Revenue and Customs,

1) That HM Revenue and Customs has set-up a Behavioural Science Unit (BSU)
2) The date the BSU was set-up on?
3) How many staff work within the BSU?
4) Has the BSU been involved in advising/helping the Counter Avoidance unit to formulate the wording in letters sent to individual 'customers/tax payers'.
5) Has the BSU been involved in advising/helping the Counter Avoidance unit to formulate the wording in 'Loan Charge' letters sent to individual 'customers/tax payers'

Yours faithfully,

Trevor Price

foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team, HM Revenue and Customs

Our ref: FOI2019/00660

Dear Mr Price,

Freedom of Information Act 2000 Acknowledgement

Thank you for your communication of 12th March which has been passed to
HMRC's Freedom of Information Team.

We have allocated the above reference which you should quote if you need
to contact us.

The Team will arrange for a reply to be sent to you which will either
comply with HMRC's obligations under Freedom of Information Act or, if we
think it's an enquiry that we don't need to address under the terms of the
Act, let you know why. If it is the latter we will, if possible, pass it
on to a more appropriate part of the Department for answer.

Yours sincerely

HMRC Freedom of Information Act Team

foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Team, HM Revenue and Customs

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Price,

Please find attached HMRC's response to your information request.

Yours sincerely,

Freedom of Information Team

Dear [email address] on behalf of FOI Team,
Regarding HMRC using "Behavioural Science" to write "Nudge" letters to Tax Avoidance scheme tax payers. Here is the evidence. It all started in 2012. Please could you clarify your answers to question 4 & 5 as from the evidence attached letters were sent out. If it was not the BSU team that have been involved in writing 'Nudge' letters which team was it. Has any loan Charge 'Nudge' letters been sent & by whom?

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm...

Yours sincerely,

Trevor Price

foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Team, HM Revenue and Customs

Our ref: FOI2019/00900

Dear Mr Price,

Freedom of Information Act 2000 Acknowledgement

Thank you for your communication of 10th April which has been passed to
HMRC's Freedom of Information Team.

We have allocated the above reference which you should quote if you need
to contact us.

The Team will arrange for a reply to be sent to you which will either
comply with HMRC's obligations under Freedom of Information Act or, if we
think it's an enquiry that we don't need to address under the terms of the
Act, let you know why. If it is the latter we will, if possible, pass it
on to a more appropriate part of the Department for answer.

Yours sincerely

HMRC Freedom of Information Act Team

foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team, HM Revenue and Customs

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Price

I am writing in response to your request for information, received 10
April 2019.

Yours sincerely,

HMRC Freedom of Information Team