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HMRC’s “big data” tax investigation system brings in an extra £4.6bn tax in 2024/5. Its investigation system “Connect” has delivered a £4.6bn boost to the Treasury in the past year, a 35% surge in additional tax identified through data-led investigations.

International law firm Pinsent Masons explained how HMRC's Connect system is a powerful data-networking, analytical and risking tool that uses “big data” to manage compliance risk.

It harvests data from banks, online marketplaces, social media accounts such as Instagram, and databases of property letting agents. Ian Robotham, Legal Director at Pinsent Masons says: “HMRC has spent time building up the amount of data sources that it can access and analyse.”

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