In this episode, Jim Lee (Global Head of Capacity Building, Chainalysis ) sits down with Richard Las (Chief Investigation Officer, Director Fraud Investigation Service, HM Revenue & Customs ) to discuss cutting-edge developments in tax fraud investigations. Richard shares his experience in managing a multi-faceted team and emphasizes the importance of international collaborations in combating financial crime, while sharing HMRC's approach to tax compliance, the impact of technological advancements in investigation and the role of public-private partnerships in reinforcing global financial security. The episode highlights the use of intelligence-led investigations, showcasing how data and private sector partnerships augment HMRC's efforts and how strategic data analysis aids in the fight against tax evasion, particularly with regard to burgeoning areas like crypto assets. Minute-by-minute episode breakdown 2 | Richard Las' background and his role at HMRC 4 | HMRC's fraud investigation service and capabilities 7 | Tax obligations for crypto holders in the UK 10 | Civil vs criminal tax offenses in undisclosed crypto gains 12 | International cooperation against tax evasion 15 | Public Private Partnerships and leveraging crypto service providers Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: HMRC: UK’s tax, payments and customs authority Report: HMRC Internal Manual: Cryptoassets Manual Guidance: 01Jan2026: New data collection and reporting requirements for UK Cryptoasset Services Forum: HMRC Community Forums - Crypto Tax (BETA) Blog: Huione Carries On: Chinese-Language Platform’s Persistence Reveals the Complexity of On-chain Financial Crime Disruption Announcement: Chainalysis and Aptos Foundation Partner to Increase Trust and Security YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain Speakers on today’s episode Jim Lee *host* (Global Head of Capacity Building, Chainalysis ) Richard Las (Chief Investigation Officer, Director Fraud Investigation Service, HM Revenue & Customs ) This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein. Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material. Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.
