HMRC Investigation
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HM Revenue and Customs frequently conduct investigations in the UK. It is an authorized inquest on your history of tax payments, and the severity of the inquiry will be entirely case dependent. Probes for tax investigations can be due to multiple reasons, such as:

• Late filing of your returns
• Your income has fallen by a significant amount
• Inconsistencies between different returns
• Incorrect information is given
• A tip-off that HMRC has received
• The result of a random check

HMRC are very disinclined to reveal any details, so finding out and identifying why the tax inquiry is taking place could be vital in helping you deal with it more efficiently.

Every case is different during a tax investigation, and depending on the facts of the individual case, this will vary and determine the time scale. For example, in certain situations, the HMRC might want to acquire documents and information up to 20 years, but it also may be a lot less depending on case facts.
HMRC investigations are not only expensive, but they are also very time-consuming. This may cause a lot of everyday issues for most people, especially if HMRC want to investigate a number of years. Therefore, the taxpayer needs to find a solution quickly to avoid unpleasantly and over calculated assessments.

If you are under investigation, you should check your books and records and find out if there have been any anomalies or mistakes, resulting in additional tax liability. No tax inquiry is straight forward as it seems. It may start from a simple compliance check and, if not appropriately addressed, can turn into a full investigation. You should talk to your accountant or advisor and include any losses that you haven’t declared for the past years. Remember, if you do not cooperate with HMRC, they have the authority to make the best judgment assessment, which can be more than the actual tax you owe.

Penalties are calculated on several factors and relevant to the year, which is under investigation. For example, a tax penalty can range from 35% to 200% of tax payable for deliberate conduct. It will also depend on your cooperation with HMRC to provide information and calculate untaxed income calculations.

It depends on the scope of inquiry or investigation and the type of letter you have received. For example, simple compliance checks can be finalised in one or two meetings, whereas investigations like Code of Practice 9 may take eight months to a year to finish. If proper records are not available, time spent to collect information will add up to the investigation time.