HMRC support services
HMRC tax support for enquiries, disclosures, penalties and serious tax investigations.
Tax Accountant London helps individuals, landlords, directors, businesses, employers and internationally connected clients respond to HMRC letters, compliance checks, tax investigations, voluntary disclosures, penalties, appeals, COP8, COP9 and offshore tax issues.
The first reply can shape the direction of the case. We review the HMRC letter, tax years, records, risk area, behaviour position, deadlines and possible settlement route before preparing a response.
Compliance checks, tax return enquiries, information requests and records reviews.
02 Tax disclosuresVoluntary disclosures, offshore income, rental income and historic tax corrections.
03 Serious investigationsCOP8, COP9, deliberate behaviour concerns, complex tax matters and settlement strategy.
HMRC tax investigation support
HMRC support should start with understanding the letter, not drafting a rushed reply.
HMRC contact can range from a simple information request to a formal enquiry, disclosure issue, penalty notice, employer compliance review, VAT inspection, offshore income letter, COP8 investigation or COP9 investigation. The correct response depends on the tax issue, years involved, records, behaviour position and HMRC powers being used.
We help clients understand the issue, gather records, prepare replies, calculate tax exposure, manage HMRC correspondence, consider disclosure routes and deal with penalties or appeals where appropriate.
HMRC enquiries and compliance checks
Support where HMRC is checking tax returns, business records, income, gains or employer taxes.
HMRC compliance checks can cover personal tax, property income, business profits, Corporation Tax, VAT, PAYE, CIS, offshore income, capital gains or earlier tax years.
HMRC Compliance Check
Support with HMRC information requests, records review, tax calculations, penalties and response strategy.
View service Tax investigationHMRC Tax Investigation
Support where HMRC is reviewing income, gains, business records, company records or earlier tax years.
View service Penalties and appealsAppeals and Penalties
Penalty review, reasonable excuse, behaviour arguments, appeal drafting and HMRC correspondence.
View serviceTax disclosure services
Disclosure support where income, gains or tax years need correcting before or after HMRC contact.
A disclosure should be prepared carefully. HMRC will normally expect the tax, interest, penalties and behaviour position to be explained. The route can differ depending on whether the issue involves rental income, offshore income, business income, capital gains, company tax, VAT or PAYE.
COP8 and COP9 investigation support
Serious HMRC investigations need a controlled, evidence-led response.
COP8 and COP9 cases are not routine tax return queries. They can involve complex tax arrangements, offshore structures, serious omissions, deliberate behaviour concerns, suspected fraud or high-value tax exposure.
Support for complex HMRC investigations, offshore issues, avoidance concerns and high-value tax matters.
02 COP9 InvestigationSupport where HMRC suspects deliberate behaviour and offers the Contractual Disclosure Facility route.
03 Tax Investigation StrategyReview of the HMRC letter, records, behaviour position, tax exposure, penalties and settlement route.
04 Penalty Behaviour ReviewReview of reasonable care, careless, deliberate or deliberate and concealed behaviour classifications.
HMRC support by tax area
HMRC enquiries often involve more than one tax.
A letter about one tax can lead into another. A landlord enquiry may raise CGT issues. A company enquiry may raise PAYE, VAT or director loan issues. An offshore letter may need Self Assessment, foreign tax credit relief and disclosure review.
Late tax returns, amendments, omitted income, CGT entries, foreign income, payments on account and HMRC tax return enquiries.
Undeclared rental income, Let Property Campaign, property expenses, mortgage interest relief and CGT on property sales.
Corporation Tax, CT600 errors, director loans, dividends, benefits, payroll and company expense reviews.
VAT returns, VAT registration, PAYE, P11D, CIS, payroll records, employment status and employer compliance reviews.
When to seek HMRC support
Get advice before replying where the issue could affect tax, penalties or earlier years.
HMRC letters should not be ignored, but they should also not be answered casually. The risk is higher where HMRC asks for records, mentions penalties, refers to offshore data, asks about behaviour or opens a formal enquiry.
Bank statements, invoices, rental schedules, foreign statements, payroll records or VAT records should be reviewed before submission.
Multi-year cases can involve discovery, failure to notify, behaviour-based penalties and interest calculations.
Penalty exposure depends on timing, behaviour, disclosure quality, cooperation and whether reasonable care can be shown.
Foreign income, overseas bank accounts, foreign property and offshore data often need disclosure and treaty review.
PAYE, VAT, director loans, benefits, expenses and company records can widen the enquiry if handled poorly.
A careful review can identify whether the letter is routine, targeted, formal, disclosure-related or investigation-led.
HMRC support process
A clear process from first letter to final position.
We identify the tax, year, deadline, powers used, information requested and possible risk level.
We review records, tax returns, calculations, missing information, behaviour and penalty exposure.
We prepare the response, disclosure, calculation, appeal or settlement proposal using the correct route.
We deal with follow-up questions, settlement figures, penalties, appeals and closure where instructed.
Records needed for HMRC support
Good records help establish the correct tax, explanation and penalty position.
HMRC letters, notices, enquiry opening letters, penalty notices, assessments, deadlines and previous replies.
Tax returns, computations, accounts, VAT returns, payroll reports, disclosure submissions and payment history.
Bank statements, invoices, rental statements, foreign tax papers, payroll records, VAT invoices and business records.
Timeline, reasons for error, professional advice taken, health or personal factors, and steps taken to correct the position.
HMRC support fees
Fees depend on the HMRC letter, tax years, records, behaviour and settlement route.
We quote before work starts. A simple penalty appeal is different from a disclosure, multi-year compliance check, offshore issue, VAT enquiry, employer review, COP8 case or COP9 investigation.
For a review of the HMRC letter, risk area, records needed and next steps.
For disclosure work involving tax, interest, penalties, calculations and HMRC settlement route.
For HMRC compliance checks, VAT, PAYE, COP8, COP9 or multi-year investigation cases.
HMRC Support FAQs
Common questions about HMRC compliance checks, disclosures, investigations and penalties.
What should I do if I receive an HMRC compliance check letter?
You should read the letter carefully, note the deadline and review what HMRC is asking for before replying. The response should be based on records and the correct tax position, not estimates or assumptions.
Should I send HMRC all records immediately?
Records should be reviewed first so that the response is complete, relevant and supported. Sending incomplete or unexplained records can create further questions.
What is a tax disclosure?
A tax disclosure is a formal correction to HMRC where income, gains, tax or earlier tax years were not reported correctly. It normally includes tax, interest, penalties and an explanation of behaviour.
What is the Let Property Campaign?
The Let Property Campaign is a disclosure route used for undeclared UK residential rental income. It can cover earlier tax years and requires careful calculation of tax, interest and penalties.
What is the Worldwide Disclosure Facility?
The Worldwide Disclosure Facility is used to disclose offshore income, foreign gains or overseas tax issues to HMRC. The disclosure should be supported by calculations and evidence.
What is a COP8 investigation?
COP8 is used by HMRC for complex tax investigations, often involving avoidance, offshore issues, high-value tax matters or complex arrangements where fraud is not the main suspected issue.
What is a COP9 investigation?
COP9 is used where HMRC suspects deliberate behaviour. It is a serious process and should be handled with specialist advice before any response is made.
Can HMRC charge penalties?
HMRC can charge penalties depending on the type of error, timing, disclosure quality, cooperation and behaviour. The behaviour position is often central to the penalty outcome.
Can I appeal an HMRC penalty?
Some HMRC penalties can be appealed where there is a valid basis, such as reasonable excuse, incorrect facts, HMRC error or an excessive behaviour classification.
Can you deal with HMRC on my behalf?
Once authorised and engaged, we can assist with HMRC correspondence, records review, calculations, disclosures, appeals and settlement discussions within the agreed scope.