Tax Fraud Defence
Investigation and prosecution for tax fraud can be very challenging for your business and for you individually. Your liberty may be at risk, but there can also be a very serious impact on you and your company’s finances and reputation.
ABR Solicitors are routinely instructed as defence solicitors in complex tax fraud cases both nationally and internationally. Representing clients all over the UK, we regularly handle cases involving assets worth many millions of pounds.
The sooner you involve our expert defence team, the better we can assist you. You may already be under investigation or facing prosecution for tax fraud or you may be concerned that an offence has occurred and want advice on how to respond.
If you are unhappy with the duty solicitor assigned to you at a police station and have been Released Under Investigation (RUI), we can take over your defence immediately.
Our tax fraud defence lawyers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and can be at your side for every stage of an investigation and any subsequent prosecution.
ABR Solicitors is home to one of the leading business defence teams in the country. The prestigious Legal 500 client guide ranks us Tier 1 for General Crime and Tier 2 for Fraud in Yorkshire and the North East, while Chambers & Partners ranks us Band 1 for Crime and Band 2 nationally for Financial Crime.
Our team have extensive experience of dealing with all types of tax fraud investigations and prosecutions carried out by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), including for VAT fraud, income tax fraud, revenue fraud and red diesel fraud.
We can advise on options such as self-reporting serious fraud where appropriate.
Should you find yourself facing an investigation or prosecution for tax fraud, having ABR on side from the outset will put you in a stronger legal position and give you the best chance of avoiding charges or achieving the best available outcome if your case goes to trial.
Get immediate expert representation for a tax fraud investigation or prosecution
If you need immediate expert advice and representation for a tax fraud investigation or prosecution at any time, please contact your local ABR Solicitors office in Leeds, Liverpool, London or Nottingham.
Our expertise with tax fraud investigations & prosecutions
Our team of experienced tax fraud lawyers defend people who are being investigated and prosecuted by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in relation to a wide range of tax fraud cases, including but not limited to the following:
VAT fraud
Our tax fraud defence lawyers have extensive experience with all types of VAT fraud, including:
- Fraudulent VAT refund claims
- Underreporting of sales
- Carousel fraud/MTIC
- Use of false VAT numbers
- Disguising domestic sales as exports
- Conspiracy
Income tax fraud
We regularly represent clients facing investigation or prosecution for tax evasion, including in cases related to:
- Underreporting income
- Keeping income ‘off the books’
- Disguising sources of income
- Hiding assets offshore
- Conspiracy
Cheating the public revenue
Our team have represented a wide range of businesses and individuals in relation to revenue fraud cases, including for:
- False accounting
- Fraudulent evasion of excise duty
- Failure to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion
- Conspiracy
Red diesel fraud
We have experience representing clients under investigation or facing prosecution for red diesel fraud, including cases related to:
- Using red diesel on public roads
- Conspiracy to evade VAT by selling red diesel for on-road use
- Processing red diesel to remove the red dye
- Conspiracy
What our specialist tax fraud defence lawyers can offer you
ABR Solicitors has extensive experience representing clients facing allegations of tax fraud with an excellent track record for helping our clients to avoid criminal prosecution and to secure the best available outcome where a prosecution cannot be avoided.
As soon as you know you are under investigation or that a potential offence may have occurred, you need a proactive legal team providing clear, experienced advice and robust representation to ensure the best possible outcome for you and your business.
Our expert tax fraud defence solicitors will work closely with you, making sure you fully understand the situation you are facing and the steps you need to take. Working as a team with expert barristers and accountants, we can give the very best defence.
We are recognised by the Legal Aid Agency (Ministry of Justice) as an expert legal firm able to handle the largest fraud cases as we are a member of the Very High Cost Case panel.
We hold the following awards:
- Fraud Law Firm of the year –UK (Corporate USA Awards 2019)
- Fraud Law firm of the year England (Global Law Experts Annual awards 2019)
- Best Fraud Law Firm –UK (Lawyers World 2019)
- Best Specialist Criminal Law Firm –England (Legal Awards 2019)
- Criminal law firm of the year-England (Lawyer International legal 100 awards 2019)
- Fraud lawyer of the year-UK Rob Rode (Finance Monthly Fintech Awards 2019)
We are independently recognised as one of the leading business defence teams in the country. We are ranked Band 1 for Crime and Band 2 nationally for Financial Crime by leading client guide Chambers & Partners, while the prestigious Legal 500 client guide ranks us Tier 1 for General Crime and Tier 2 for Fraud in Yorkshire and the North East.
Rob Rode who leads the team is described as “an extremely impressive and dynamic team leader” who “combines fearless tenacity with an exceptionally personable attitude”. He is an “experienced charismatic fraud lawyer”.
How we can protect your business against accusations of serious fraud
Self-reporting tax fraud to HMRC
Should you be concerned that a tax fraud offence may have been committed within your organisation, it may be in your interests to self-report the issue to HMRC.
Self-reporting and working constructively with investigators, can result in any criminal proceedings being suspended, even if evidence of tax fraud is uncovered. We are able to advise on Code of Practice 9 (COP9) disclosures and regularly work with expert accountants who can assist in this area.
Our specialist tax fraud defence team can advise you on whether self-reporting is in your best interests and, where required, guide you through the process for doing so, helping to minimise the impact on you and your business.
Responding to a tax fraud investigation
Being investigated for tax fraud by HMRC is likely to be very concerning and you will need to take immediate, proactive steps to protect yourself and your business. You will need to respond carefully to any investigation, making sure you co-operate with investigators while avoiding any risk of compromising your defence.
With extensive experience in guiding many different businesses through HMRC investigations, our team can provide seasoned advice and representation, making sure you know exactly what to do and what not to do at every stage of an investigation and any subsequent prosecution.
Tax fraud prosecution defence services
If you are facing prosecution for tax fraud our highly experienced team can help you to prepare effectively and secure representation from the highly regarded specialist tax fraud defence barristers with whom we have well-established relationships.
We know exactly how these prosecutions work and the various angles of defence available, so can ensure all relevant evidence is collected and presented in the right way to boost your defence. Our team has a very strong track record of seeing our clients acquitted or securing lower penalties where a conviction is unavoidable.
Confiscation proceedings & applications to vary restraint orders
Where HMRC suspect that tax fraud has occurred, it is likely they will apply to a court for a restraint order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA). Should this be granted, your personal property and business assets could be frozen, meaning you would lose access to them immediately.
We know what a negative impact this can have on you and your family, especially where the restraint order is unexpected. Our team are very effective at challenging restraint orders, so can advise you on the possibility of having the conditions of the order varied, giving you access to the funds and other assets you need to meet your day-to-day living requirements.
Speak to our tax fraud defence solicitors today
If you need immediate expert advice and representation for a HMRC tax fraud investigation or prosecution at any time, please contact your local ABR Solicitors office in Leeds, Liverpool or London.