Osborne targets overseas sellers on Amazon and eBay in VAT clampdown

Chancellor estimates measure will recoup 875m in lost receipts over four years, but campaigners say it doesn't go far enough

Measures targeted at an army of overseas sellers using Amazon and eBay to evade VAT were at the heart of a 12bn tax clampdown announced by the chancellor.

A host of other tax avoidance strategies were also in George Osborne's sights. They ranged from schemes that disguised an individual's earnings as loans, to businesses taking on commercially unnecessary borrowings to lower their tax bills.