HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) war on tax evaders could have a knock-on effect for legitimate IT contractors, it has been claimed.

Chancellor George Osborne recently announced that HMRC will receive an extra £900 million to invest in finding those who are not paying the appropriate amount of tax.

It is thought that this move could claw back around £7 billion each year from the tax gap - the difference between what should be paid and what is paid to the tax office.

According to Contractor Calculator, this could mean that HMRC opens lengthy and intrusive investigations on IT contractors, looking for tax liabilities.

It states that while tax avoidance is legal and tax evasion is not, the line is being blurred by politicians and moralising in the media.

"The result could be that contractors could find themselves under investigation and under pressure to fill the tax gap," the website concludes.