Payments to tax informants rise sharply

Payments to tax informants have leaped by 50pc over the past year, figures obtained under a freedom of information request show, according to the Daily Telegraph.

In 2014/15 a record £600,000 was paid to people who had reported suspected tax dodges by calling HM Revenue & Customs’ (HMRC) confidential telephone hotline, with around 100,000 calls made.

A spokesman for HMRC said: “The majority of people who provide information to us do so without any expectation of a financial reward. Cash rewards are discretionary and based on what is brought in as a direct result of the information provided.

“We receive information from a wide variety of sources and it is always used to make sure everyone pays what they should.”

“It makes sense to get your tax return correct by using a qualified advisor for your own peace of mind, ”says Barter Durgan John Pache