By Howard Lloyd,Rory Poulter

Copyright glasgowlive

HMRC is set to recruit a whopping 6,000 additional ‘tax hunters’ in a massive crackdown on fraudsters. The government has pledged to recover billions more from rule-breakers both at home and abroad.

The Treasury has confirmed that over the next five years, 5,500 new compliance caseworkers and 400 offshore experts will be hired to chase tax dodgers, aiming to increase revenues by £7.5 billion before the end of the decade.

Exchequer secretary Daniel Tomlinson announced at the HMRC stakeholder conference that the department was receiving its largest ever funding boost. Funding will rise from the current £6 billion to £7 billion by 2030, fuelling an ‘ambitious’ campaign to reduce Britain’s tax gap.

He stated: “By 2029-30, HMRC will bring in £7.5 billion more tax revenue, making compliance easy for those who are trying to get their tax right and tackling some of the toughest areas of compliance risk.”

This initiative will build on the more than 700 caseworkers and 1,200 debt management personnel already in place, with hundreds more starting their training this month. A new Complex Cross Tax and Offshore unit, made up of 70 specialists, has also been created to focus on wealthy individuals who attempt to hide assets overseas, reports Devon Live.

Mr Tomlinson recognised that most people try to stick to the rules but stressed that tougher enforcement was vital: “This can be made difficult if their tax affairs or the rules are complex. Intermediaries play a crucial role in helping customers navigate that complexity… building trust in the system, and making it harder for the minority who harm it.”

The shake-up also features a £500 million investment in HMRC’s digital services, with plans to force sole traders and landlords earning over £50,000 to switch to digital tax filing from April 2026. From the same date, tax advisers working on behalf of clients will also need to register with HMRC, in a bid to raise standards in the tax advice market.

This hiring drive signals the start of a far more aggressive stance by the taxman. Wealthy offshore evasion and small business under-reporting are both in the crosshairs, with new AI systems and digital tools expected to dramatically boost HMRC’s enforcement powers.

The minister insisted that the changes weren’t just about chasing cheats but also about funding public services. “That investment will help get the NHS back on its feet, encourage trade and secure our borders,” he declared.