HMRC’s specialist unit dealing with the country’s wealthiest taxpayers gathered a record £220m (around $335m) of extra tax last year.

The HMRC’s High Net Worth Unit (HNWU), which deals with the tax affairs of 5,800 people with assets in excess of £20m, increased its yield from tax enquiries by 10% in the 2012/13 tax year, up from £200m in 2011/12.

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In addition to the taxes it normally collects from the same group of wealthy individuals, the unit has raised a total of £665m over the past four years.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke, said: "HMRC’s High Net Worth Unit provides the specialist attention they require in ensuring the wealthy pay the tax they owe. This government has reinvested almost £1bn in HMRC and expects them to deliver almost £22bn in 2014-15".

 

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In March, HMRC’s announced a new strategy to tackle offshore tax evasion, titled "No safe havens", which includes significant spending increases on staff and technology and aims to net £9bn by 2017.

Back in 2010/11, the HNWU collected an extra £162 million and in 2009/10 it gathered a further £83 million.

Martin Randall, Head of HNWU said: "The tax affairs of the richest people in the country can be complex as they have large tax bills, and that’s why we’ve focused resources on getting their tax right".

"The majority of the wealthiest taxpayers play by the rules, paying the right tax at the right time, but we take action against the minority who don’t."