HMRC tax evasion property raids rise by a fifth

The number of raids on premises carried out by HM Revenue & Customs during investigations into tax evasion has increased by nearly 20% from 500 in 2013/14 to 593 last year.

According to international law firm Pinsent Masons, the number of such raids has trebled in the last four years, reflecting the increased pressure being put on HMRC by the UK Government to increase the number of criminal prosecutions for tax evasion.

Raids on property are licenced by a court judge and used to obtain sufficient evidence for a criminal prosecution.

In 2013, the Government set the Revenue a target to secure 1165 criminal prosecutions in 2014/15 up from 165 in 2010/11.

It gave the Revenue additional resources to meet the prosecution targets, including £900m over four years to address non-compliance in the tax system. It also strengthened HMRC’s criminal investigation directorate with 320 additional staff.

The total number of tax evaders given a custodial sentence has risen by around 30% over the last four years; from 171 in 2011 to 220 in 2014.

Paul Noble, tax director at Pinsent Masons, said: “HMRC is being pressured to increase the number of prosecutions secured for criminal tax evasion and has now been provided with the increased means to do so.

“It is pursuing as many cases as possible in an effort to meet targets set by the Government.”