The furlough scheme has been an invaluable crutch for businesses across the UK, but a substantial number of hurried claims may lead to an eruption of COP9 notifications.
What is COP9?
Code of Practice 9 (COP9) is a form of tax investigation that HMRC will only issue where it believes there has been serious tax fraud / evasion. A COP9 will come from HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service (FIS).
You will have 60 days to reply to HMRC from the date you receive the COP9 letter.
What are your options?
Put simply, you can either accept or deny the alleged COP9 offence.
Acceptance of the COP9 offence means that you are admitting your guilt and confirming that you knowingly benefitted from a scheme you were not entitled to. You will need to write back to HMRC and they will then assess your response, which will determine their next course of action.
Denying the COP9 offence and claiming innocence against the fraudulent activity will see HMRC investigate your tax activity. The FIS can go back to up to 20 years into your tax history and will undertake an exhaustive review of your tax affairs during this period.
How we can help
Our expert team have years of experience with HMRC and COP9 investigations.
If you have received a COP9 letter from HMRC, it is imperative you get professional support immediately. Get in touch with our experienced tax team on 01788 539000 or 0116 261 0061.
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