Tory donors from JCB empire could face £500m bill to settle tax inquiry

Exclusive: HMRC investigation into peer Anthony Bamford and his brother focuses on offshore trusts that own business empire

The influential Tory donors behind the JCB digger empire could be hit with a bill for more than £500m to settle a longrunning investigation by HM Revenue and Customs, the Guardian can reveal.

The investigation into Anthony Bamford, a Tory peer, and his brother Mark, the director of a subsidiary of the Conservative party, is understood to span a complex network of offshore tax havens and companies.