The Government has called on the public to report stores that are breaking the law.
The Chancellor John Healey has urged people to report tax fraud as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) ramps up its work to tackle illegal activity on the high street.
It advises the public to use the improved Report Tax Fraud service on GOV.UK which makes it easier to ‘shop’ high street businesses they suspect are involved in fraud, from vape shops to barber shops.
The service prompts users for specific, factual information about what they have observed – such as suspicious activity, behaviour, locations and timings to do with money laundering or other HMRC-related criminal activity.
Information submitted through the service will help HMRC’s enforcement teams build intelligence, identify patterns, assess risks and target its compliance and enforcement activity more effectively. All information can be submitted anonymously.
Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey said: “Too many high streets have been blighted by dodgy shops that harm local communities and undercuts honest businesses.
“If you see something that doesn’t look right, like suspected tax fraud or money laundering, use HMRC’s fraud reporting service and help protect our high streets.”
This follows the launch of a High Street Organised Crime Unit with £30m of funding, bringing HMRC together with other government departments, Trading Standards, policing partners and the National Crime Agency (NCA). HMRC also announced that it will make more than 30,000 interventions in 2026-27 aimed at dismantling criminal networks involved in tax fraud, labour exploitation and the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.
The Prime Minister also recently pledged to double the amount of time that Closure Orders can be used to close ‘dodgy’ shops. Currently, Closure Orders provide certain enforcement agencies the ability to close businesses for up to three months, and can be extended to a maximum of six months. However, the extension of this power would mean enforcement agencies could close stores for up to twelve months.
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