Facing an HMRC Investigation? We Deal With Them, So You Don’t Have To
HMRC Investigation? We Deal With Them
We become your authorised agent, take HMRC off your plate, and work to get you the best outcome.
Get Help Early Now!
If HMRC has been in touch, reach out to us early for accountant representation. We provide HMRC enquiry support and are here to assist you with our tax investigation services.
What an investigation involves
What an HMRC InvestigationActually Involves
An HMRC investigation, or compliance check, is simply HMRC checking that your tax is right. Some are triggered by figures that look off or by HMRC’s Connect data system, and some are random. They range from one quick question to a full review of years of records. Knowing which you’re facing shapes everything we do next.
- Aspect enquiry: HMRC checks one specific part of your return.
- Full enquiry: a review of your whole return and the records behind it.
- Compliance check: the umbrella term, covering VAT, PAYE, Corporation Tax or Income Tax.
- VAT and PAYE inspections: checks on a specific tax, often with a visit.
- Serious investigations: where HMRC suspects deliberate wrongdoing, under a formal code of practice.
How we help
We Become the Buffer BetweenYou and HMRC
The moment we’re appointed, HMRC deals with us, not you. We take over every letter, call and deadline, present the right documentation, challenge anything HMRC isn’t entitled to, and work to keep the tax, interest and penalties as low as possible.
We know the process:
HMRC authorised agents who deal with enquiries regularly.
We handle all contact:
every letter, call and deadline goes through us, not your desk.
We protect your position:
HMRC only gets what it’s entitled to, and we challenge what it isn’t.
We work to cut penalties:
handled properly, cooperation can reduce penalties sharply, sometimes to nothing.
Why acting early matters
The Sooner You Act, the More We Can Do
Never ignore an HMRC letter, and never reply without advice. Deadlines are strict, and what you say first shapes the whole enquiry. The earlier we’re in, the more we can protect you and the faster it’s usually over. And remember, most enquiries are about honest mistakes, not fraud.
How it works
How We HandleYour Case
step-01
Send us the letter:
Forward it the moment it arrives. We’ll tell you what it means and what’s at stake, free.
step-02
We take over:
We become your authorised agent and deal with HMRC directly.
step-03
We resolve it:
We manage the enquiry to a close and keep penalties as low as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions About HMRC Investigations
HMRC opens most checks because something in your figures triggered its risk system, not because you’ve necessarily done anything wrong. Common triggers include figures that look out of step with your industry, a large VAT refund on low turnover, or high turnover with low declared profit, and some checks are simply random. Its Connect system cross references huge amounts of data, so a check doesn’t mean you’re guilty, it means something flagged for a closer look.
HMRC can generally go back four years, extend to six where it believes tax was lost through carelessness, and as far as twenty years where it suspects the error was deliberate. How far back they actually look depends on your circumstances, which is one of the first things we assess when we take on your case.
It varies widely, from a few weeks for a simple aspect enquiry to well over a year for a full investigation into complex affairs. The biggest factor is how the case is handled. Clear, complete answers to exactly what HMRC asked close things far faster than drip feeding information, and managing that is a large part of what we do for you.
You’ll usually pay the tax owed plus interest, and often a penalty on top. The size of that penalty depends heavily on whether the error was careless or deliberate, and on how much you cooperated, which is where good representation earns its keep. Handled well, penalties can be reduced significantly, and sometimes removed altogether.
You’re allowed to deal with HMRC yourself, but it’s rarely wise. What you say early sets the direction of the whole enquiry, the deadlines are strict, and an innocent but clumsy answer can widen the check. As HMRC authorised agents we handle these regularly, so we know what HMRC can and can’t ask for, and how to keep the enquiry contained.
For the vast majority of people, no. Most enquiries are about mistakes and are settled by paying the tax, interest and any penalty. Criminal prosecution is reserved for serious, deliberate fraud, and even then HMRC usually offers a route to disclose and settle. If your case is more serious, we’ll tell you straight and make sure you’re properly represented.
A compliance check is HMRC’s formal term for checking that your tax is right. It can cover VAT, PAYE, Corporation Tax or Income Tax, and can be anything from a single question to a full review of your records. HMRC will write to tell you what they’re checking and why, and copy in your accountant if you have an authorised agent. You can read HMRC’s own guidance at https://www.gov.uk/tax-compliance-checks.
Don’t panic, and don’t reply off the cuff. Read what they’re asking, note the deadline, and get advice before you respond, because that first reply shapes everything that follows. Forward the letter to us and we’ll tell you exactly where you stand, free. HMRC also publishes help and support at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hmrc-compliance-checks-help-and-support.
Why acting early matters
HMRC Been in Touch?Don’t Face It Alone
Forward us the letter and we’ll tell you exactly where you stand, free and with no obligation. The earlier we’re involved, the more we can do.