Tax Investigation Helpline

How Mistakes Happen

IHT and CGT rules are full of exemptions, allowances, and reliefs — and accountants often misapply them. Common errors include:

• Miscalculating the nil-rate band or transferable allowance for IHT.
• Failing to advise on lifetime gifting rules and their tax consequences.
• Overlooking Business Property Relief (BPR) or Agricultural Property Relief (APR).
• Incorrectly calculating capital gains on property sales.
• Failing to claim Principal Private Residence Relief (PPR) or lettings relief.
• Giving poor advice on trusts, leading to unexpected tax liabilities.

These mistakes are often only discovered when HMRC raises questions — by which point the financial damage is already done.

What’s at Risk Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains mistakes can create serious problems, including:

• Unexpected tax bills, often in the tens or hundreds of thousands.
• Loss of valuable reliefs and allowances, which could have reduced or eliminated liabilities.
• Penalties and interest for errors in returns. - Family disputes, especially when poor advice leads to reduced inheritance.
• Stress and uncertainty, as families are left to deal with HMRC enquiries during already difficult times.

These risks make it essential to challenge bad advice quickly and effectively.

How We Help

At Tax Investigation Helpline, we understand the complexities of IHT and CGT and how HMRC approaches investigations in this area. We provide:

• Independent review: We analyse your tax position and identify where poor advice has led to mistakes.
• HMRC representation: We handle enquiries on your behalf, protecting you from unnecessary stress.
• Correction of returns: We ensure your filings are accurate and compliant going forward.
• Negotiation: Where liabilities exist, we work to reduce penalties and secure fair settlements.
• Accountability: We help you hold negligent accountants to account for their errors.

Our focus is always on protecting your wealth and ensuring fair treatment.

Common Issues We See Some of the most frequent IHT and CGT mistakes caused by accountants include:

• Failing to plan correctly for inheritance tax, leading to unnecessary liabilities.
• Miscalculating CGT on the sale of second homes or investment properties.
• Overlooking important reliefs such as BPR, APR, or PPR.
• Poor advice on trusts, leaving families with large unexpected tax bills.
• Inaccurate or incomplete reporting to HMRC, triggering investigations.

We’ve seen these scenarios many times, and we know how to resolve them effectively.

Don’t Let Bad Advice Cost Your Family If your accountant has misadvised you on inheritance tax or capital gains, the financial and emotional impact can be enormous. But you don’t have to carry the burden alone.

At Tax Investigation Helpline, we’ve helped families, individuals, and business owners recover from mistakes caused by negligent accountants. With our expertise, you can reduce liabilities, protect your wealth, and pursue accountability.