HMRC targets landlords and claws back more than £100M
Andrew Park, of Price Bailey, says HMRC is casting its net wider and catching more landlords with unpaid tax bills.
Landlords paid more than £100million in unpaid tax to HMRC last year, with the average more than £9,000.
A total of £104.3million was recovered from 11,511 property owners in 2025 to 2026, the highest in seven years, after ‘nudge letters’ were issued by the tax agency.
It is the third year in a row the final figure has risen above £100million, and is nearly three times the amount paid in 2019 to 2020.
Latest disclosure
The latest disclosure, which was secured from a Freedom of Information request by accountancy firm Price Bailey, shows the outcome of HMRC’s Let Property Campaign.
The campaign gives landlords the opportunity to pay unpaid tax from previous years and avoid penalties.
HMRC is casting the net wider and catching landlords who may only have modest rental income.”
Andrew Park, Partner at Price Bailey (pictured), says: “HMRC’s data‑matching capability has become relentless. Most voluntary disclosures are now prompted by HMRC nudge letters, and we are seeing a clear trend in larger numbers of smaller cases.
“HMRC is casting the net wider and catching landlords who may only have modest rental income but still have undeclared tax liabilities.”
An HMRC spokesperson said: “The Let Property Campaign is an opportunity for landlords to disclose any unpaid tax in a simple, straightforward way and take advantage of the best possible terms.
“Our nudge letters help customers pay the correct amount of tax. By paying correctly and on time, they avoid penalties and interest.”
