HMRC investigations into big businesses now last nearly three and a half years on average

"The research shows that open tax investigations handled by HMRC's Large Business Directorate (LBD) last an average of 41 months, roughly three years and five months, although this is slightly faster than the previous year's average of 45 months. The number of active cases has also increased, rising from 2,031 investigations to 2,149 over the past year."

"HMRC's Large Business Directorate focuses on the UK's largest enterprises, roughly 2,000 companies with annual revenues exceeding £200 million. These businesses collectively account for around 40 per cent of all tax collected by the UK government. With more than 2,100 investigations currently open, the figures suggest that roughly half of Britain's largest companies are under some form of tax scrutiny at any given time."

"The increase in open investigations is being driven by HMRC's increased efforts to tackle the tax gap as well as the time required to complete complex corporate investigations. Over the past year alone, HMRC opened 1,879 new investigations into large businesses, an increase of 21.1 per cent, equivalent to 327 additional cases compared with the previous year."

HMRC's Large Business Directorate investigations into the UK's largest companies now take an average of 41 months to complete, slightly improved from the previous year's 45 months. The number of active investigations has increased from 2,031 to 2,149 cases. These investigations target approximately 2,000 companies with annual revenues exceeding £200 million, which collectively account for 40 percent of all UK tax revenue. With over 2,100 investigations currently open, roughly half of Britain's largest companies face some form of tax scrutiny. HMRC opened 1,879 new investigations in the past year alone, a 21.1 percent increase. This surge reflects HMRC's efforts to address the estimated £47 billion tax gap and the complexity of corporate tax enquiries.

Read at Business Matters