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Tax Enquiries and Investigations

“Income tax returns are the most
imaginative fiction being written today”
Herman Wouk

It is an unfortunate fact of business life that you may well come under enquiry by the HM Revenue and Customs through no fault of your own or of your accountant. HMRC now investigates businesses at random as well as for specific reasons. A full investigation is not a pleasant experience for anyone. Without expert defence it is possible to get trampled all over.

If you are selected at random, you need an accountant who knows how the Inland Revenue works and thinks and is prepared to fight your case. We make sure that the Revenue keep to their own internal guidelines and don’t step over the mark. We will talk you through the enquiry process and what to expect and support you throughout.

The Penalties
There are various penalties HMRC can seek to impose following an enquiry for undeclared income. As well as having to pay the tax, you can find them seeking penalties up to an amount equal to the tax, so doubling your tax bill. Interest on the late payment of the tax is also part of the arrangement – not a pleasant experience. We can help you minimize these penalties.

Anti-investigation scanning checks
Whilst with the introduction of random investigations anyone can come under investigation, you can help to avoid the chance of an investigation into your affairs for other reasons. We know the triggers that give rise to investigations if not fully explained to the Revenue when submitting Returns to them. Every Tax Return or set of accounts we submit to the Revenue goes through an anti-investigation scanning check to identify any areas that may lead to an enquiry before they are submitted without explanation. This really does help to minimise the chances of you being on the wrong end of an enquiry.

Fee Protection
We can arrange fee protection for you to cover you for any accountancy costs of dealing with a full enquiry. This is very worth considering as accountancy fees of dealing with a full enquiry can be substantial.

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Please contact us if you have any queries on this service or ask a question.