HMRC Tax Crack Down

As part of HMRC’s crackdown on white-collar tax evasion, it has launched 669 in 2016/17 compared to 499 in 2011/12, according to research from law firm Pinsent Masons. 

Overall, the total number of property raids undertaken by HMRC rose 8% last year, from 1,449 in 2015/16 to 1,563 in 2016/17. 

The Revenue, says Pinsent Masons, is under pressure to increase the number of successful tax evasion prosecutions and has been granted more resource to do so. 

Also, a new corporate criminal offence of failure to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion comes into force on 30 September, which will give HMRC new powers to prosecute companies and partnerships.