Investigation Fee Service
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All UK trading businesses, as well as certain individuals (depending on their circumstances) must submit an annual Self Assessment Return and every Return is a potential target for an investigation! There is no immunity, indeed
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You never know when an investigation might start as HMRC are continually gathering data, from third parties, which could relate you or your business! Armed with this information, the Revenue may have prejudged the outcome before the investigation starts leaving you to prove why they are wrong!
The enquiry process can be extremely stressful and time consuming and, due to the technical nature of the questions, expert advice can be needed to ensure that you only pay the right amount of tax.
Unfortunately the costs of a thorough and proper defence can easily mount up to thousands of pounds. Defending clients during even a basic tax enquiry will normally require many hours of expert’s time, and no one should have to concede to the Revenue’s demands purely on a commercial basis.
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In order to protect our clients, we offer a Tax Investigation Service that provides you with representation, at no cost, in the event you are selected for a tax enquiry.
Our package enables us to:
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Provide you with full representation in the event of a tax or VAT enquiry
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Handle the tax authorities on your behalf
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Deal with all correspondence and meetings with the Tax Inspector
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Negotiate the best result for you
For a small annual fee, you will benefit from complete peace of mind that should the Taxman come calling, you are fully protected.
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If you have been selected for enquiry by HMRC you’ll need peace of mind that you have the right defence without worrying about the cost!
Face Facts
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The Government has given HMRC £917 million to tackle the ‘tax gap’ and raise additional revenue of £7 billion in the coming years.​​
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HMRC has redeployed over 2,500 officers
into compliance to conduct more tax
investigations.​​
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Typical tax enquiries can require 12 months to complete and without any fee protection service can cost upwards of £2,300.
Investigations - Frequently Asked Questions
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Why do I need protection?
Any client can be selected for enquiry by HMRC. The Revenue estimates that the gap between what they are due and what is collected is around £40 billion which is why they are knuckling down and becoming ever more aggressive on compliance.
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What can I be expected to provide?
Justification of your accounts, income and lifestyle are the main areas which you will be questioned on. Many people are shocked by the type of questions they are asked as well as the fact that you’ll have to prove your innocence rather than the inspector proving his case.
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How long can an investigation last?
A typical investigation may last for many months. However, there are those that can last years either due to disputes or to the nature of information needed.
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Is professional representation necessary?
When dealing with a highly trained inspector, professional representation and advice is pretty much essential. After all HMRC have their way of looking at things, which does not necessarily reflect yours. Hence the disputes!
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Additionally, a defence as conducted by a professional is more likely to result in success rather than an expensive tax bill!