In the past tax year (2025/26) HMRC has instigated prosecutions for tax evasion against 1,100 individuals alleged to have committed wrong who are now awaiting trial, according to new analysis.
HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service (FIS) secured 260 convictions against the most serious tax evaders in the tax year 2025-26, according to HMRC annual report data published this week and analysed by national accountants UHY Hacker Young.
The analysis revealed that HMRC criminal investigations collected 40% more tax in total last tax year – £2.1bn.
The average investigation collected £4.3m, up 26% from £3.4m the previous year, the firm says.
HMRC claims to have won 87% of the prosecutions it brought in last year.
During the past tax year:
• 494 criminal investigations were launched by HMRC, up 10.8% from 446 the previous year
• The amount of tax collected through criminal investigations rose by 39% to £2.1 billion, up from £1.52 billion.
• The average investigation recovered almost a million pounds more – £4.3m each, 25% more than £3.4m the previous year.
Ian Dickinson, tax director at UHY Hacker Young, said: "HMRC appears increasingly willing to prosecute individuals who evade tax."
"HMRC is looking to close a multi-billion fiscal gap, so it is likely to use all the legal tools it has to recover unpaid tax. HMRC appears to be getting more bang for its buck. On average, it is getting almost a million extra pound per investigation.”
HMRC collected £50.2 billion in extra tax through compliance in tax year 2025-26, UHY Hacker Young says.