Dawn raids on tax evaders up 30% as prosecutions double

Over the same period, the number of evasion-related prosecutions more than doubled from 501 to 1067, highlighting HMRC's effort to sharpen its focus on tax cheats, the FT reported. Pinsent Masons head of tax Jason Collins told the paper dawn raids — searches of premises that are carried out when a tax fraud is suspected — were a vital way for HMRC to get hold of crucial evidence. Once HMRC has been granted a search warrant by a magistrate, it can use a dawn raid to seize personal documents, emails and electronic files from individuals as evidence to secure prosecutions for tax evasion...