The taxman is looking to recover more than £3 million after setting up a taskforce to tackle revenue dodging in the Scottish motor trade.
The crackdown by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) forms part of a wider initiative which aims to capture a total of £50m across the UK. Other sectors in the taxman’s sights include the legal profession in London and the hair and beauty industry in the north-east of England.
The special units have been set up to highlight areas where HMRC believes there is evidence of tax evasion. Teams of officials will visit traders’ premises to examine their records and carry out “other investigations”.
David Gauke, the Exchequer secretary, said: “We have made it clear that we will not tolerate tax evasion and we are determined to crack down on the minority who choose to break the rules.
“Everyone needs to pay the taxes they owe in full. It is not fair that at a time when most hard-working people are paying the right tax, others are trying to get out of paying what they should.”
Other sectors in Scotland that have been targeted in the past include pubs, nightclubs, restaurants and scrap metal dealers.
HMRC said that since May 2011 it has launched 30 task- forces, which bring together various compliance and enforcement teams for “intensive bursts of activity” targeted at specific sectors and locations.
Mike Eland, director, general enforcement and compliance, said: “These taskforces bring together specialists from across HMRC to find people who are not paying what they should. If you have paid all your taxes you have nothing to worry about.”