Tax Disputes
On a Carousel
Haymarket was consulted by a city law firm regarding their client who was being prosecuted by HMRC in connection with the alleged evasion of £153 million VAT on mobile phones and computer parts, which had been purchased and subsequently exported. Haymarket investigated the circumstances of the transactions and prepared a report demonstrating that the fraud had been perpetrated by third parties without the knowledge or involvement of the client. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court and, on the basis of the findings in our report; the client was acquitted of all charges.
Faulty Freezers
Haymarket was instructed by a large meat importer, alleged by HMRC to have made a substantial underpayment of levy as a consequence of misdescribing chilled beef as frozen at point of import.. Through detailed examination of the cold store records, and interviews with employees who were responsible for storing the beef, Haymarket established that the blast freezers were malfunctioning, with the result that the stored beef had thawed. On the basis of our findings, HMRC accepted that the beef had been frozen at the time of import and the duty demand was withdrawn in full.
Should you or your business be subject to a tax investigation, Haymarket has the experience and expertise to assist.
The consequences of mishandling your response to a tax investigation can be severe and the cost in terms of penalties and interest can be even greater than the tax involved. Haymarket has a team of highly trained specialists who have detailed knowledge of tax law and procedures and who understand the need to be proactive when dealing with the taxman.
Cases with which Haymarket’s tax specialists typically deal include:
- Civil fraud investigations under Code 9 of HMRC’s Codes of Practice;
- VAT investigations;
- Customs/Excise investigations;
- Disclosures to HMRC including Swiss Banking and Liechtenstein;
- Tax tribunal contentious hearings;
- Expert witness reports and representation in tax cases;
- Specialist investigations.
If you or your company is the subject of an investigation, then contact Haymarket immediately to arrange a no cost/no obligation initial consultation.
Case Study - On a CarouselCase Study - Faulty Freezers
