The British taxman has forked out £600,000 of taxpayers’ money to informants this year.
It was a record sum, exceeding the previous £402,000 of the year before, and represents a 50% leap in just one year.
The money has gone to people who reported suspected tax cons on HMRC’s confidential telephone hotline which was first opened in April 2006 with a £1 million television and press campaign.
Last year some 100,000 calls were made.
A reward of between £50 and £1,000 is often given, but only if the information leads HMRC to a reasonably large amount.
It is thought the majority of whistle-blowers could be disgruntled workers and former spouses.
A spokesman for HMRC said: "The majority of people who provide information to us do so without any expectation of a financial reward. Cash rewards are discretionary and based on what is brought in as a direct result of the information provided.
"We receive information from a wide variety of sources and it is always used to make sure everyone pays what they should."
