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Tax enquiry
Posted by Anonymous on Mon, 29/10/2007 - 16:28
A tax inspector has asked if a couple, both currently with enquiries open, both with the same questions asked and both with the same set of papers (50/50 split on everything) would be happy to have their tax enquiry dealt with together.
Is there a problem with this?
I don't think this will be a complicated enquiry and expect it to be closed very quickly but as with all things to do with the Revenue one never knows.
Anon
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Joint Tax Enquiry
From the information you have given it would appear that the Inspector is simply trying to move things along as quickly as possible which will be to everyone's benefit.
Clearly if the Inspector has a particular issue with a source of joint income it is a lot easier to deal with both enquiries together.
But there is no obligation for your clients to agree to this. They both have a right to be dealt with separately if they wish.
There is of course the possibilty that one of your clients has a source of income that the other is unaware of and dealing with the enquiries jointly would obviously reveal this source to the other partner.
But the Inspector would be well aware of your clients rights to confidentiality so if he did have such a rabbit up his sleeve it's unlikely that he would be asking for the enquiries to be dealt with together.
This highlights the problems you have when an Inspector does not have to tell you his reasons for opening the enquiry in the first place. If you knew what specific issues he was concerned about you could make a judgement on whether your clients could be dealt with together or not.
In this case, I would be tempted to get in touch with the Inspector and voice your concerns, asking what assurance he could give as regards your clients individual rights to confidentiality. If the Inspector is genuinely just trying to save everyones time he may well have to give you a few good clues as to what he is looking at specifically in order to give you such an assurance.
Tony Willetts
www.taxenquiry.co.uk
Purpose of enquiry
Ask the inspector for specific details of the reason for the enquiry.
That will enable you to consider whether or not it should be run jointly.
Thanks
Thanks for the replies, the inspector is looking at CGT and EIS claims rather than income. The CGT was down to a jointly owned asset the EIS were individual investments with consequent reliefs.
not totally joint
I do like a nit-pick from time to time.
Firstly, EIS investments, I believe, are not joint investrments, even though they may have invested the same amount each and on the same day.
Secondly, why is the Inspector asking (sorry, maybe I am wrong, but I assume he is asking for) a meeting for a CGT question and an EIS question? Surely, the answers will be based on facts and documents, rather than on opinions and verbal/oral answers?
Thirdly, the Inspector's known questions are on matters which are split 50/50, but do the couple not have income/gains which are not so split (which the Inspector might ask about in the course of the enquiry)?