HM Revenue and Customs taskforces have recovered more than 500 million ever since they were launched five-years ago.
The targeted bursts of enforcement activity have made possible progressively higher amounts annually, and also the total now stands at in excess of 540 million. This can include nearly 250 million raised in 2015-16 alone, almost double the amount of previous year’s yield.
Since 2011, HMRC has launched over 140 taskforces targeting sectors which might be in the highest likelihood of tax fraud along with the retail sector, the tobacco industry additionally, the adult entertainment industry.
Jennie Granger, Director-General for Enforcement and Compliance at HMRC, said: “The message is evident: if you try to cheat for your tax, we intend to catch you. A small number of people still think they’ll cheat the tax system; these figures prove we can search them out and gain back what they have to owe.
“We have increasing levels of intelligence, and rehearse state-of-the-art digital tools to help you us to find and target high-risk areas.”
Taskforces are equally one strand of HMRC’s compliance strategy, which earned a record 26.6bn in 2014-15, up 43% from 2011-12.
Nearly 50 new taskforces were launched last financial year, including ones intended for property, partnerships and hidden wealth. In 2015, 1 taskforce dedicated to Tax resulted in 45 arrests for tax evasion and fraud.
