HMRC’s letters are carefully worded to encourage early disclosure. People respond quickly thinking it will help. It doesn’t. Anything you provide — documents, explanations, figures — becomes part of the case and cannot be withdrawn. This is one of the most common mistakes we fix.
The other common mistake is ignoring the correspondence entirely. That gives HMRC the power to issue assessments based on their own estimates, and those estimates are rarely in your favour. Between responding too fast and not responding at all, there’s a narrow window where the right professional response makes a significant difference to where you end up.
We represent clients in HMRC investigations across all taxes: income tax, corporation tax, CGT, SDLT, VAT, and PAYE. We understand how HMRC operates, what triggers enquiries, what powers they have, and where the boundaries are. We take over all communications, prepare the necessary disclosures, negotiate settlements, and protect your position throughout. As specialist property tax accountants, we’re particularly experienced in property-related investigations, which HMRC has targeted heavily in recent years.
If you’ve received a letter from HMRC, call us before you reply. The initial conversation is free and confidential.
HMRC may open a compliance check into a specific aspect of your return — a particular expense claim, a property transaction, or a discrepancy they’ve identified. These are focused, but they can expand if HMRC finds further issues. Early, well-prepared engagement usually leads to a better outcome. We review the area under enquiry, prepare a clear response, and manage the process to resolution.
A full enquiry covers your entire return and all sources of income. HMRC can open one within 12 months of you filing. These are more comprehensive and require detailed disclosure of your records and financial affairs. We manage the information requests, prepare supporting documentation, and represent you in all communications with HMRC.
If HMRC suspects deliberate tax evasion, they may issue a COP9 notice offering the Contractual Disclosure Facility. This is HMRC’s alternative to criminal prosecution. It is serious and you need specialist representation immediately. We advise on whether to accept the CDF offer and manage the disclosure process to achieve the best possible outcome while meeting HMRC’s requirements.
HMRC has targeted property income as a focus area for several years. We handle these regularly. Common triggers include discrepancies between rental income declared and information from letting agents, undeclared property disposals, and CGT returns that don’t match Land Registry records. As property tax specialists, we know exactly what HMRC is looking for and how to respond.
If you know your tax affairs aren’t right — undeclared rental income, missed CGT returns, errors on previous filings — a voluntary disclosure before HMRC comes to you will almost always result in significantly lower penalties. We prepare the disclosure, calculate what’s owed, and negotiate the penalty position. Coming forward voluntarily is treated far more favourably than being caught.
When you come to us, the first thing we do is review the correspondence and understand exactly what HMRC is asking for and why. We assess your exposure — worst case, likely case, and what we can do about it. We then take over all communications so you’re not dealing with HMRC directly. We prepare all responses, ensuring we provide what’s required without volunteering unnecessary information. We negotiate on penalties, which range from 0% for unprompted disclosure of a genuine mistake to 100% for deliberate and concealed behaviour. The difference between those penalty levels can be tens of thousands of pounds. Throughout the process, we keep you informed and advise on your options at every stage. Our aim is resolution — as quickly and cost-effectively as possible, with your position protected.
Book a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your property tax position with a specialist accountant.
