hmrc negligence

Dawn Raids by HMRC Down 6%

Over the past twelve months, the number of dawn raids carried out by HMRC following investigations into tax evasion has fallen noticeably. Compared to a year ago, the number of raids is now down by 6%.

Law Firm Irwin Mitchell discovered the drop after obtaining figures directly from HMRC under the Freedom of Information Act. The data showed that only 744 search warrants were executed in the 2013/2014 tax year, 6% fewer than in 2012/2013.

This drop goes against a several-year trend. Up until last year, the number of warrants executed had showed consistent year-on-year increases since 2010. There have also been consistent and often dramatic increases in the number of prosecutions for tax evasion following boosted efforts on the part of HMRC. 2011/2012 saw 302 prosecutions, but the following year more than doubled this number with 617 prosecutions.