Tougher scrutiny of rich nets extra £500m A new unit targeting the tax affairs of Britain's wealthiest people brought in an extra £500m of revenues over the past three years, George Osborne told MPs on Tuesday. The tougher scrutiny of rich taxpayers has brought in much more cash than initially expected, in a sign of HM Revenue & Custom's increasingly sophisticated and tough approach to tackling avoidance, evasion and mistakes. The "high net worth unit," which scrutinises the affairs of about 5,000 people with assets worth at least £20m, has consistently exceeded its collection targets. It consists of 380 staff working from eight locations in the UK and was expected to bring in £100m a year when it was set up in 2009. In 2011-12, the tax yield from its work hit £200m, up from £162m in 2010-11 and £83m in 2009-10. It has brought in £55m so far in this tax year, bringing the total to £500m. Martin Randall, head of the unit, said: "The tax affairs of the richest people in the country are, by their nature, complex, and that's why we have focused resources on getting their tax right. The majority of the wealthiest taxpayers play by the rules, paying the right tax at the right time, but we take action against the minority that don't. HMRC said the unit raised £54m from 37 individuals who settled their affairs through the Liechtenstein Disclosure Facility, which offers reduced penalties for investors declaring secret offshore accounts.