Foreign tax authorities made 1,772 requests for information about UK taxpayers in 2025, the highest number in seven years, prompting HMRC to hand over details on wealthy British residents with overseas assets.
The figure marks an increase from 1,693 requests in 2024 and 1,393 in 2020, according to data cited by accountancy firm Price Bailey. The requests are part of a broader crackdown on wealthy British taxpayers with offshore property and investments.
Rise in Offshore Enforcement
Andrew Park, of accountancy firm Price Bailey, said the rise affects people with overseas property and investments. He noted that foreign tax authorities are stepping up their offshore enforcement efforts.
“Foreign tax authorities are stepping up their offshore enforcement, and we are now seeing more targeted information requests about UK taxpayers than at any point in the past seven years,” Park said.
John Hood, of accountancy firm Moore Kingston Smith, said: “HMRC has enhanced its powers to access information in the UK to assist foreign tax authorities.”
HMRC Response and Warning Letters
An HMRC spokesman said: “We’ve led the way in increasing global tax transparency, enabling us to effectively tackle offshore tax evasion and avoidance, and ensure everyone pays the right tax under UK law.
“Information sharing with our international partners also helps us to better target our compliance activity on the small minority who seek to break the rules.”
HMRC is understood to have sent tens of thousands of warning letters to UK residents making money abroad. As a result, more than 1,000 tax bills have been mailed this year, with some demanding sums of more than £100,000 be paid in less than a month.
Criticism Over Letter Process
Dawn Register, head of tax dispute resolution at accountancy advice firm BDO, said many people were “totally oblivious” that their overseas bank data was being shared.
“For some people it is an alarming letter to receive, but it is particularly alarming if it comes out of the blue,” she said. “The criticism of HMRC is that they do not do more analysis before they send out the letters.”
