The UK’s HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has disclosed that it raised £23.9 billion in additional tax revenue over the last year as a result of increased activity to make sure people pay the taxes they owe.

The figure is almost £1 billion more than the target set by Chancellor George Osborne in the autumn statement in December last year.

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HMRC, which is responsible for the collection of taxes, said that the additional tax the agency secured as a result of its investigations from various tax defaulters including high profile barristers, accountants and lawyers.

The tax collected has increased by £3.2 billion in a year and £9 billion compared to three years ago, which clearly highlights HMRC dedication to crackdown on tax evaders.

According to the figures released by HMRC, it successfully recovered over £8 billion from large business, more than £1 billion from criminals and £2.7 billion from tackling avoidance schemes in the courts.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke said, "The government supports the hardworking, honest majority of taxpayers that play by the rules, and is determined to tackle the minority that seek to avoid paying the taxes they owe."

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"We set HMRC ambitious targets to increase its yield and the figures published today demonstrate that HMRC is successfully meeting these challenges.

"It also sends a clear signal – HMRC will pursue those seeking to avoid their responsibilities and will collect the taxes that are due," Gauke added.

Additionally, the HMRC has already initiated numbers actions taken to tackle tax avoidance, such as launching taskforces, publishing the details of deliberate and serious defaulters and challenging tax avoidance through the courts.