1. Services

HMRC Taskforce

HMRC has recently conducted targeted, specific investigations into particular "high risk" sectors within tightly defined geographical areas, and has done so for some time.

In order to encourage businesses with potential tax issues in those targeted industries or areas to come forward, HMRC will routinely publish its intended Taskforce targets.

In some ways, taskforces are a throwback to an earlier era when HMRC would police their local areas knowing who their traders were. At the core of the taskforce approach is HMRC's strategy to combat tax evasion by utilizing local knowledge and identifying "potential offenders" through risk assessments.

Taskforce investigations typically cover all types of taxes, including income tax, corporation tax, VAT and employment tax. The investigations are very much team-worked by HMRC Officers, who can call on any resources within HMRC, such as the Criminal Investigation and Prosecutions teams, the Fraud Investigation Service, the Contractual Disclosure of Fraud teams, or local compliance officers.

An investigation by HMRC will be stressful, time-consuming, and involve extensive scrutiny of business and tax records.