In the past five years, HMRC staff have lost tech worth £2m, with around 2,300 mobile phones and 507 laptops going missing since 2021. The tax office has faced criticism for its handling of equipment losses, particularly as staff have lost approximately 10 mobile phones and two laptops weekly over the past year. William Yarwood from the TaxPayers' Alliance said: "It's a disgrace ... if the taxman expects the public to keep track of every penny they owe, the least they can do is keep track of their own phones and laptops." HMRC officials note that they take immediate action to deactivate lost devices and have measures in place to secure data.
