HMRC stepping up VAT investigations with 12,000 probes opened in huge tax crackdown

HMRC stepping up VAT investigations with 12,000 probes opened in huge tax crackdown

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has intensified its scrutiny of Britain's larger businesses, with VAT investigations surging by nearly a third over the past year.Probes into unpaid VAT by large and medium-sized enterprises reached 11,894 in the 12 months to March 2025.This represents a 31 per cent jump from the 9,071 investigations conducted during the preceding year.The escalation forms part of the Government's push to narrow the gap between taxes …

HMRC intensifies VAT checks on larger businesses

The UK’s HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has sharply increased its enforcement activity around value-added tax (VAT), with investigations into medium and large businesses increasing by nearly a third last year, the Financial Times reported. The publication cited HMRC data obtained through a freedom of information (FoI) request showing that VAT enquiries into larger companies rose to 11,894 in the year to March 2025. The figure marks a 31% rise from …