Where is your proof that the taxman has ‘cleared’ you over £40,000 bill, Angela?

Angela Rayner last night faced calls from the taxman to prove she had been ‘furloughed’ just in time to enter the Labor leadership race.

The former Labor deputy leader announced yesterday that HMRC had cleared him of any wrongdoing or carelessness in buying a house in Hove, East Sussex.

He was due to pay £40,000 in outstanding stamp duty on the south coast flat but was said to have avoided the fine.

Experts and political rivals have said ordinary taxpayers are likely to suffer as HMRC almost always imposes fines in such cases.

Questions have been raised as to how the taxman concluded she was not careless, given that she did not seek expert tax advice on the complex transaction involving the establishment of a trust for her disabled son.

Eyebrows have also been raised as to how the probe was shut down so quickly, paving the way for Sir Keir Starmer to take part in the race to replace him.

It is understood he learned of the decision on Tuesday but waited until yesterday morning to announce it as others took action against the Prime Minister.

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart said: ‘Angela Rayner’s carefully worded statement cannot hide the fact that she still has to pay an outstanding tax bill of £40,000.

Angela Rayner seems to be the only person who can say that this matter has now been resolved with HMRC. He still has serious questions to answer.

‘If he wants the best job he should publish in full all correspondence with HMRC.’

Andrew Marr, managing partner at specialist tax firm Forbes Dawson, said: ‘This is sure to upset those less fortunate than Rayner. HMRC are known to be extremely strict on penalties, especially stamp duty… It is questionable whether HMRC acted fairly in this case.’

Dan Neidle of Tax Policy Associates, who predicted she could face an £8,000 penalty, said the outcome Ms Rayner described was ‘staggering’.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘It would be good for people to see more openness from him so they have confidence in the system.’

Conservative peer and chartered tax adviser Lord Mackinlay added: ‘I think he is extremely lucky. It is very rare that the Internal Revenue Service does not charge a penalty; The minimum penalty is usually 15 percent.’

He said his advisors may request a ‘suspension of sentence’ on the grounds that he will not make a mistake again and that this relates to a complex area of ​​tax law.

However, he added that ‘usually such investigations take a considerable amount of time’, often stamp duty takes at least 18 months, but Ms Rayner’s case was concluded in less than half that time. ‘I’d hate to think that HMRC plans its affairs for the benefit of Labour,’ he said.

A spokesman for HMRC said: ‘Due to taxpayer privacy legislation we cannot comment on individuals.’

Ms Rayner left the Cabinet in September after she was found to have breached the ministerial code by underpaying stamp duty on the purchase of her £800,000 flat in Hove.

In a complex arrangement, he bought the property after his son’s trust bought it from his constituency, believing he did not need to pay the higher stamp duty rate required for a second home.

At the time the Government’s sleazy watchdog said it was ‘deeply regrettable that no specific tax advice was sought’.

But Ms Rayner revealed in interviews with The Guardian and ITV that HMRC had cleared her. ‘They said there was nothing wrong and that I wasn’t trying to avoid paying tax,’ he said.

He admitted that the investigation had ‘hurt’ and added: ‘The saddest thing was that people thought I was evading taxes or trying to set up trusts to avoid taxes or that I was careless.’

In a statement on social media, he said: ‘I have been cleared by HMRC of the charge that I deliberately tried to avoid tax.’

His announcement sparked fresh speculation that he will seek a new role in Downing Street, with two major bookmakers slashing his chances of becoming the next Prime Minister.

But when asked in interviews whether he would enter a challenge triggered by another contestant, he said only: ‘I’m not going to go into hypotheticals.’