IRS Partners with UK on New Whistleblower Program Targeting Cross-Border Tax Evasion

Announcement Details and Attribution

According to an IRS news release dated October 7, 2026, the agency highlighted its partnership with the United Kingdom's new whistleblower program. The program, operated by His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), drew upon the expertise of the IRS Whistleblower Office to become established quickly.

The collaboration is intended to strengthen efforts against global tax evasion and improve cross-border tax compliance. The IRS release separates these stated goals from the operational details of how information sharing or enforcement actions will occur in practice.

Program Background and Launch

HMRC's Strengthened Reward Scheme launched in November 2025. It encourages reporting of serious tax avoidance and evasion involving the wealthiest individuals and largest businesses, according to the IRS summary.

The IRS release notes that both the United States and United Kingdom serve as global financial hubs, making the partnership between the IRS and HMRC particularly relevant for addressing sophisticated evasion methods that cross jurisdictions.

Leadership Statements

The IRS release attributes to IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano the statement that the U.S.-UK collaboration will help deter large-scale, cross-border tax evasion and encourage robust tax enforcement with far-reaching global impact.

HMRC Chief Executive JP Marks is quoted in the release as recognizing the role of informants in protecting tax system integrity and expressing gratitude for the IRS's support in developing the Strengthened Reward Scheme.

What Whistleblowers Can Report

The IRS announcement lists examples of reportable matters that include undeclared foreign bank accounts and failures to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR), hidden assets routed through foreign trusts, foundations, financial instruments or anonymous entities in tax havens, money laundering, and transfer pricing manipulation or illicit cross-border profit shifting.

Both agencies encourage reports that are specific, timely, significant and credible. The release states that accountants, bankers or executives with inside knowledge can help tax authorities identify noncompliant parties.

Award Eligibility and Submission Process

Under the programs described, whistleblowers may qualify for a monetary award when their information leads to the collection of taxes or other proceeds. The IRS release explicitly states that whistleblowers do not need to be citizens or residents of the U.S. or UK to receive an award.

Submission instructions attributed to the release direct U.S. reports to the IRS Whistleblower Office or IRS.gov/SubmitATip. UK reports should go through the Reporting Serious Tax Avoidance or Evasion page on GOV.UK. Readers should verify current procedures and eligibility criteria directly with the respective agencies, as program rules may evolve.

Republic Tax Relief notes that individuals facing separate IRS or state tax debt issues unrelated to this whistleblower program may have different questions about resolution options; the firm offers a free, no-obligation initial consultation to discuss suitability, scope, fees and availability of private tax-resolution services for communicating with the IRS.

Implications and Reader Considerations

The IRS release treats the partnership as reinforcing existing enforcement efforts rather than creating new legal authority. It does not detail specific changes to U.S. whistleblower award calculations, timelines or collection procedures.

Affected parties include those with information about the listed evasion tactics, as well as taxpayers potentially subject to increased scrutiny from enhanced international information sharing. Readers should consult the primary IRS and HMRC sources to confirm any updates beyond the October 7, 2026 announcement.