What should you do if you get a call or letter from HMRC saying they are carrying out an investigation?
The following simple steps may help provide some peace of mind:
- Contact your professional adviser and let them know what correspondence you have received and details of the enquiry type.
- Do not provide the revenue with any information at this stage, not least as you may not need to or may provide them with more than you need to.
- Do not discuss your tax affairs or enquiry with all and sundry,
- Limit discussions to only those you have with your professional advisers
- Don’t underestimate the taxman, it will surprise you how resourceful the Revenue are and what information they have or can get access to, this may include bank records and other financial information.
- Limit the exposure the taxman has to other people, an innocent question and equally innocent reply could give rise to difficult situations.
- Don’t destroy evidence or try to create ‘new’ evidence or re- write events.
- Destroying paperwork or computer records only increases the doubt of the Revenue, and can turn an innocent situation into something more serious.
- Consider your tax investigation insurance. Find our more
