HMRC has doubled its surveillance team, equipping 337 staffers with the skills to physically monitor tax evaders, according to official figures.
The news comes amidst the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner after she was accused of tax evasion having underpaid stamp duty on the purchase of her £800,000 Hove flat by £40,000.
Rayner, who referred herself to the ministerial standards adviser following the investigation by the Daily Telegraph, denied the accusations. The then Deputy PM – who divorced her husband Mark in 2023 – had believed that the lower stamp duty rate for a primary property applied, having sold her remaining 25% share in her constituency property in Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester to an NHS trust set up to care for her disabled son.
According to HMRC guidance, surveillance powers include physical monitoring of individuals and businesses suspected of tax fraud. The process gives HMRC staff the powers to conduct ‘drive-bys’ at premises and properties and run test purchases of goods or services.
The newly trained surveillance team of 337 staff cost £580,403 in the most recent financial year, a doubling of the 171 staff trained two years prior.
An additional 196 were provided in criminal foundation training at a cost of £316,816. Meanwhile 2,179 employees were trained in public and personal safety skills. A further 168 staff were trained in court room skills training.
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Kenny MacAulay, CEO of Acting Office, a software platform for accounting practices said: “The resignation of the Deputy Prime Minister underlines the complexity of Britain’s tax law and the serious consequences of getting it wrong. It’s encouraging to see HMRC ramp up its core capabilities to identify and enforce the rule and hold individuals and businesses to account.
“For accounting practices, the deluge of new regulations, requirements and protocols means that one bad decision could lead to severe reputational damage and loss of customer trust.
“That’s why implementing the latest AI and digital technology to modernise systems should be at the very top of the agenda.”
Dr Janet Bastiman, chief data scientist, Napier AI, commented: “With financial crime and money laundering on the rise, ramping up tailored training to enable HMRC staff to identify fraudsters and tax evaders is necessary investment.
“It’s also crucial to make use of the latest AI and digital technology to flag suspicious transactions and enable agents to take action and hold those responsible to account.”
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