HMRC regularly publishes lists of serious tax defaulters. The list makes for some interesting reading on a couple of fronts.
First of all the recent version includes some cases that go back as much as ten years. This should shatter the illusion that if you’ve been up to something long enough ago you have gotten away with it.
Secondly some of the penalty rates on show are staggering. One of them has almost a 90% penalty rate. £688k of tax at stake and the penalty was £600k!
Thirdly despite what the list at first seems they are not all huge enterprises. Scroll to the very bottom and you will see David Peter Owens a heating engineer getting taken for £40k in tax and penalties.
Finally the range of tides and activities shows that HMRC have no preference when going after tax. If they think you’ve dodged it they will gladly invite you in for a chat. Considering the move to pay informants I wonder if they will start publishing the commission paid out on these stats? That would be a great way to incentivise the general public to get on board with the informing!