The body said it secured the £23.9bn throughout 2013-14 on top of the tax it collected from those who pay their taxes on time.
The extra revenue, which was revealed in the body’s latest “fast facts” document, is £3.2bn up on 2012-13 and is nearly £1bn above the target set during the 2013 Autumn Statement.
Included in the extra revenue was £8bn secured from large businesses, £1bn from criminals and £2.7bn from tackling avoidance schemes in the courts.
The body also revealed it has spent £77m on tackling offshore evasion since 2010 and has contacted over 17,000 people about their offshore accounts. It added that £1.3bn has been disclosed in tax liabilities with the biggest payment coming in at £11m through the Liechtenstein Disclosure Facility.
The document also highlights the body’s 42 changes to tax law since March 2010, and its winning of 80% of avoidance cases between April 2010 and March 2014.
Since April 2010 it has made 265 prosecutions, with sentences totalling 2,700 years.
Exchequer secretary to the treasury David Gauke said: “The government supports the hardworking, honest majority of taxpayers who play by the rules, and is determined to tackle the minority who seek to avoid paying the taxes they owe.
“We set HMRC ambitious targets to increase its yield and the figures published today demonstrate that HMRC is successfully meeting these challenges."
'Different factors'
Tax partner at Edwin Coe, Frank Strachan, said the increase in returns can be put down to a “number of different factors”, including the persuasive powers of the media.
“First, the courts have found in favour of HMRC in relation to a number of schemes. Second, HMRC's efforts have been supported by the media, who have collectively put forward the argument that tax avoidance is now morally reprehensible,” he said.
“Politicians have also been quick to put their weight behind the media's sentiments as they seek to secure votes – so the 'we are all in it together' catchphrase is paying dividends for HMRC in relation to its efforts to target tax avoidance.”
He added that these factors have resulted in tax avoidance becoming a global issue, openly debated to a high level at intergovernmental conferences such as the G8.
“One by one tax schemes are being successfully challenged through the courts by HMRC and governments around the world are working together to target tax avoidance, so I foresee no reduction in the receipts arising from successful tax avoidance investigations.
“The momentum is truly behind HMRC.”
'Inappropriate'
In the “fast facts” document, HMRC also outlined its future plans including the so-called “follower penalties” scheme. Through this, the body will be granted the power to group together similar avoidance cases and penalise them all on the basis of one “relevant” ruling.
As reported, this scheme has been widely criticised, with Stephen Coleclough, president of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, labelling it as an inappropriate resolution to long term tax avoidance worries.
He said: “Handing HMRC almost unprecedented executive powers to decide who falls within the mischief they intend to deal with, without the usual safeguards and appeal lightly, is not something which should be done lightly.”
Gary Richards, tax partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, also said the proposals are not specific enough when identifying what cases will be grouped.
He added: “HMRC are frustrated and have been criticised for the length of time such cases take but the problem is partly of their own making.
“The proposals run the risk of, in effect, removing people’s right to appeal.”
