HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has today launched a taskforce to tackle tax cheats in the rental property sector in the South East.

Taskforces are specialist teams that undertake intensive bursts of activity in specific high risk trade sectors and locations in the UK. The teams will visit traders to examine their records and carry out other investigations.

HMRC expects to recover nearly £4 million from this particular task force.

“The vast majority of people play by the rules. We will not tolerate tax evasion and will crack down on the minority who choose to break the rules,” said David Gauke, the Exchequer Secretary.

“It cannot be fair that, while most people are paying the right tax, a tiny minority are not paying what they should. HMRC is on target to collect more than £50 million as a result of taskforces launched in 2011-12.”