Have you been contacted by HMRC or the authorities in relation to tax evasion?

This is a serious matter and you need to urgently seek professional help. Churchill Tax Investigation in Richmond Upon Thames are specialists in tax evasion cases and will ensure protection of your best interest at all times.

Eliminating tax evasion and tax fraud have been at the forefront of many initiatives in recent years with HMRC and government working in partnership to establish guidelines and tackle tax evasion.

At a basic level, tax fraud and tax evasion is the same thing. Tax evasion is not the same as effective tax planning or avoidance. Tax avoidance is legal, whether HMRC approve of this practice or not. Tax evasion on the other hand is illegal.

Tax evasion occurs when there is a deliberate attempt to misrepresent the financial affairs of a business or individual to decrease tax liabilities.

If you do not declare all sales for example, this is classed as tax evasion so too is intentionally claiming expenses that you have not incurred. It would also relate to the creation of false documentation in an attempt to over claim expenses or under state sales.

HMRC employ tens of thousands of people to conduct tax investigations who are extensively trained in the identification of tax evasion.

Facing an investigation for tax evasion or tax fraud is one of the most serious investigation. Therefore it is absolutely essential that you consult a specialist tax investigation firm. The majority of investigations for tax fraud are launched using COP 9 procedures. HMRC will notify you what practice direction they are using to conduct the investigation. Usually you will receive a Code of Practice so you know how serious their concerns are. In addition, tax investigations which are started by local tax offices can be escalated into a full COP 9 investigation if something serious is uncovered.

Under COP 9 you will be expected to make a full disclosure to HMRC of any omissions or errors in your tax affairs, potentially covering the last 20 years. You will need to discuss this with a tax advisor to prepare a comprehensive report for HMRC to disclose any errors or omissions. The report must be in depth and provide supplementary evidence to support your case.

If you make a full and complete disclosure to HMRC to cover all of the errors or omissions, the tax fraud or evasion can be resolved using civil procedures without being subject to a criminal investigation. Nevertheless, if the disclosure is found to be seriously lacking HMRC will launch a full criminal investigation.

HMRC consider tax evasion and tax fraud to be very serious. As a result the consequences can be severe. The majority of regular accountants have no knowledge of COP9 investigations, you need to seek out a specialist investigator such as ourselves. It is crucial that you seek advice from a qualified and experienced investigations specialist to ensure that accurate reports are prepared and correct documentation is supplied.

If HMRC have notified you in writing that you are under investigation either because you have evaded paying tax or you have committed tax fraud or there is a suspicion that you have, Churchill Tax Investigations in Richmond Upon Thames can provide our clients with the necessary representation in order to resolve the problem as swiftly as possible.

Our initial meeting after your consultation will be to discuss what has happened and agree a suitable strategy to deal with the investigation. For a free, no obligation discussion about a tax evasion or tax fraud issue, contact our team, in confidence today.