To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) annual budget and (b) number of staff was for HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service in each of the last five years.
Answered on
19 November 2021
HMRC is determined that tax fraud should not pay. Since the launch of our Fraud Investigation Service in 2015-16, we have secured and protected nearly £30 billion for our vital public services and secured more than 3,800 criminal convictions. In addition, HMRC’s Spending Review settlement includes £100 million for more resources for HMRC to tackle all forms of non-compliance, including avoidance and evasion, and continued funding of over £70 million for the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce to combat fraud and abuse of the Covid-19 schemes.
The tables below detail the full-time equivalent staffing levels in both Fraud Investigation Service (1) and the Proceeds of Crime unit (2).
1. HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service | |||||||||||||
2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 * | |||||||||
a) Annual Budget (approx.)- includes Pay-bill, Other Resource Costs, Income & Capital. | £240m | £260m | £300m | £300m | £300m | ||||||||
b) Full-time equivalent staff at the end of the year (approx.) | 4,100 | 4,400 | 4,900 | 4,400 | 4,900 | ||||||||
*2021-22 staff number is a year-end projection | |||||||||||||
2. HMRC's Proceeds of Crime Unit (HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service hosts this function) | ||||||
2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 * | ||
b) Full-time equivalent staff at the end of the year (approx.) | 400 | 350 | 400 | 350 | 400 | |
*2021-22 staff number is a year-end projection | ||||||