HMRC pays out £400k to tax-dodge informants

HMRC paid out a record £400,000 in 2013 to people whistleblowing on tax avoidance activities, a Freedom of Information (FoI) request has revealed.

The 2013 payout represents a 30% rise in rewards for informants over the last three years, according to figures obtained by The Telegraph. Every day some 250 people are tipping off the taxman about suspected tax dodging by acquaintances such as ex-partners, former bosses and neighbours, according to the paper. There are financial rewards available to people using HMRC's hotline as part of a reward scheme. These range from between £50 and £1,000 and are usually provided when the whistleblower supplies information which leads the taxman to a "big win" from a wealthy individual, The T...