If you are searching for ‘HMRC sols’, chances are you are dealing with an HMRC or border force issue that requires legal assistance. Our team of specialist HMRC solicitors and barristers, with their exceptional technical expertise and years of experience, are ideally placed to assist you. We are recognised experts in this niche area of law and offer a commercially focused service surpassing that of many traditional law firms.
For a confidential free discussion, call us today on 01908 414990, alternatively email us at Hello@altion-law.co.uk or complete our Free Enquiry Form and we will call you back.
What do our HMRC Sols do?
Our HMRC solicitors are experienced in all matters relating to HMRC and border force. Examples of just some of our areas of expertise include the following:
- HMRC Tax Investigations
HMRC is responsible for ensuring UK taxpayers comply with their legal obligations and pay the right amount of tax. To assist it in fulfilling this role, HMRC officers carry out thousands of tax investigations each year.
A tax investigation involves HMRC officers visiting your business premises, reviewing your records, and asking a series of questions. The visit might result from a tip-off or suspicious activity identified by HMRC, or it might be a routine inspection to confirm that everything is in order. The officers might be concerned with one aspect of a recent tax return, or they might want to undertake a thorough review of all your tax affairs.
Whatever the reason for the tax investigation and however comprehensive it is, handling the process effectively is essential. By actively engaging with the officers and answering their queries swiftly and effectively, you can reduce the length of the investigation and minimise its disruption to your business activities. If the investigation uncovers any anomalies, addressing them promptly and working with HMRC to resolve them can encourage it to impose a more lenient penalty than it might otherwise have done.
Our HMRC solicitors have considerable experience in accompanying clients to HMRC investigations. We will liaise with the officers on your behalf, ensuring they act within the remit of their powers and protecting your position throughout.
- COP9 Investigations
A COP9 investigation is a Code of Practice 9 investigation. Unlike other HMRC investigations, which it might carry out for reasons such as operating in a sector identified as being high risk, HMRC only subjects taxpayers to COP9 investigations when it suspects fraud. This type of investigation is usually carried out by HMRC’s elite fraud investigation service, which comprises some of its most experienced and highly skilled professionals.
COP9 investigations involve HMRC issuing the taxpayer with a ‘Contractual Disclosure Facility’ offer, pursuant to which HMRC agrees to refrain from initiating a criminal investigation in exchange for the taxpayer admitting fraud, providing certain information, and repaying their tax.
You can choose whether to accept or reject HMRC’s Contractual Disclosure Facility offer, and making the right decision is crucial. Getting it wrong can have far-reaching consequences, including HMRC launching a criminal investigation into your affairs and asking the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute you.
Our HMRC team will guide you through the COP9 process, helping you make the choices that are right for your business and safeguarding your interests.
- HMRC Criminal Investigations
HMRC uses its criminal powers sparingly, preferring to pursue unpaid tax through the civil courts. However, it reserves its right to pursue criminal investigations and push for criminal prosecutions where it sees fit. Examples of the circumstances in which HMRC might choose to use its criminal rather than its civil powers include where it suspects a taxpayer of serious tax evasion or where the individual concerned holds a position of power or authority.
HMRC criminal investigations are incredibly serious. If the officers uncover fraud, they may pass the file to the CPS to launch a criminal prosecution, which can result in fines and imprisonment. Accordingly, expert legal advice from HMRC solicitors like ours is essential. We have represented countless clients facing HMRC criminal investigations and our solicitors have a proven track record of avoiding prosecutions.
- Tax Appeals
Taxpayers have the right to appeal HMRC’s findings in most situations. However, strict timescales and rules apply. Working with experienced HMRC solicitors is crucial in ensuring you do not miss your chance to appeal and giving your application the best chance of success.
The above are just a few examples of our HMRC team’s expertise. We routinely assist clients with all matters relating to HMRC and border force, including VAT disputes, due diligence, and modern slavery. Our advice is clear, straightforward, and tailored to your commercial reality and business needs. Clients praise our ‘practical advice’ and ‘prompt and effective service’, and regularly recommend us to their friends and business contacts.
For a confidential free discussion, call us today on 01908 414990, alternatively email us at Hello@altion-law.co.uk or complete our Free Enquiry Form and we will call you back.
