A new HMRC taskforce has been launched to target self assessment tax cheats in London and the South East.
Taskforces are specialist teams that engage in high intensity investigative and enforcement work in specific areas of the UK, which have been identified as high risk.
The aim of this particular force is to reveal, and bring to justice, people who are fraudulently claiming back money that they are not entitled to through the self assessment system. The taskforce is expected to target around 400 people and, by using it, HMRC expect to recover £6 million of falsely claimed money and also prevent future fraudulent repayments being made.
HMRC have introduced taskforces as part of the Government’s 2011-2012 £917 million spending review investment into tackling tax evasion, avoidance and fraud. The department is expected to salvage over £50 million from tax dodgers because of the use of taskforces in 2011-12. The total expected to be raised from taskforces this year is over £90 million.
The Governments overall aim in its investment in managing tax evasion is to make an additional £7 billion each year by 2015.
