The taxman is thought to have clawed back nearly £500m in unpaid tax as a result of over 50,000 voluntary disclosures from professionals including doctors and plumbers. It is investigating a further 3,000 leads on top of the criminal investigations.
Gary Ashford, head of tax investigations at RSM Tenon said: “HMRC is sticking to its word to try and deliver a five-fold increase in prosecutions by opening these criminal investigations, and this is a clear indication that they are stepping-up their fight against tax evasion and non compliance.”
The taxman’s amnesty, the Offshore Disclosure Facility and New Disclosure Opportunity, has resulted in over 50,000 voluntary disclosures. In addition, the Tax Health Plan, which was aimed at medical professionals, produced a further 1,500 voluntary disclosures.
The next step is a crackdown on people holding overseas bank accounts. This will be followed by a name and shame exercise through an online register of tax evaders.