Tax and VAT investigations

Did you know that the number of tax enquiries opened by Revenue and Customs is on the increase?

Did you know that you can be selected at random for an enquiry, whether or not you’re in business?

We can help and can negotiate with tax authorities on your behalf to minimize your tax liabilities in the event of:

• A personal or business tax enquiry

• A VAT dispute

• A PAYE/NIC dispute

• A CIS dispute (construction industry)

The amount of the penalty can be significantly reduced when the inaccuracy is disclosed. There is a substantial discount for unprompted disclosure, bringing the minimum penalties down to :

•   For a careless error, 0% rather than 30%
•   For a deliberate inaccuracy, 20% rather than 70%, and
•   For a deliberate inaccuracy with concealment, 30% rather than 100%.

Where a disclosure is prompted rather than unprompted, the discount is not as generous, with the minimum penalty being half of the full tariff.

We as advisers would do well to remember that if we discover an inaccuracy, the quicker the client makes a disclosure the more likely he is to benefit from the substantial discounts for unprompted disclosure.