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Got a HMRC investigation coming up? Common FAQs answered by our fraud solicitor

19 July 2021

fraud-solicitor

So, you run a successful company and it’s that time of year; tax returns.

All the documents are sent off and a few months later, you receive notice from HMRC that your company is now going to go through an investigation into tax evasion.

What do you do?

Firstly, don’t panic and contact us! At ABV Solicitors, our fraud solicitor knows the legal system surrounding HMRC and tax law like the back of their hand! We can advise you on steps to take, files to produce and, should it be needed, we will represent you in court.

Curious to ask our fraud solicitor some questions about tax investigations and HMRC? Our top 4 FAQs are answered here.

I haven’t deliberately tried to evade tax – what should I do?

Being accused of tax evasion can be a blow, especially when you are a hard-working business owner or representative.

And in the majority of cases, there is no deliberate intention or maliciousness involved with errors on tax returns, but they need to be investigated nonetheless.

If your company has been accused of business or tax fraud, contact our fraud solicitor at ABV Solicitors. We have the knowledge and expertise that your company will need to get through this period and we will aim to help you come out the other side without any long-term problems.

Why would HMRC launch an investigation into my business?

There are many reasons, but in our experience at ABV solicitors, we see 3 recurring causes time and time again.

The first is that you have been reported by someone either in your company or in an affiliated company. This can be done with the best intentions, but can understandably cause issues with morale.

Secondly, your company or one of your associate companies have been deemed high risk by HMRC, with cash in hand transactions noted multiple times. And finally, human error and inconsistent tax returns can prompt HMRC to dig deeper into your files.

How can I prevent issues in the future?

As we mentioned before, the main cause for such investigations is good old fashioned human error; we know you didn’t mean to misinform HMRC and more than likely, they know it too.

To prevent your company from being named in an investigation in the future, contact our team about how to prevent fraud and to oversee your company’s end of year tax return. That way, should there be any errors, it will not be linked to your administration.

How long will an investigation take?

This will depend on how much information there is to go through and how far back HMRC wants to look; older documents may take longer to find, delaying the process.

For smaller tax investigations, it can take HMRC up to 6 months, but, if you find yourself under the spotlight of a larger investigation, it can take up to 18 months.

Regardless of the scale of the operation, our team at ABV Solicitors can help, so call us today for more information!

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