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Research Suggests Benefit Of Expert Advice In Tax Disputes

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

24 August 2005

Tax protection firm, Abbey Tax Protection has suggested that HM Revenue and Customs is more likely to concede defeat in tax disputes with businesses which have hired specialist advisors to argue their case.

According to Abbey's poll of 2,500 claims which had been lodged by the tax authority since 1997, and in which the firms in question had taken out insurance to cover advisory fees, HMRC (or the Inland Revenue as it was known until earlier this year) has backed down in 56% of contested cases.

This appears to conflict with the Revenue's own figures, which state that 78% of its investigations result in the payment of more tax by the companies in question.

Abbey suggested that in cases where an expert advisor is employed, the assistance often means that no extra tax is paid because it "takes away the need for a commercial decision to settle on the inspector's terms and the Revenue's bluff can be called".

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