A few weeks back HMRC knocked the doors of 8 business premises across Northern Ireland as part of a new taskforce to check that taxi operators and drivers have paid the tax they owe. Officers visited premises in counties Antrim, Down and Fermanagh and uplifted business records for examination. A similar taskforce paid visits to 36 premises across Scotland.

HMRC taskforces target specific high-risk sectors where there is a risk that some are not paying the tax they owe. Since Taskforces began in May 2011, over 100 taskforces have been launched, bringing in over £400m.

Taskforces bring together various HMRC compliance and enforcement teams for intensive bursts of activity targeted at specific sectors and locations where HMRC suspect a high risk of tax evasion and fraud. The teams visit traders to examine their records and carry out other investigations.