VAT Due Diligence Webinar – 24 November 2020

We are pleased to announce a webinar focusing on VAT due diligence.

Whilst at the forefront of HMRC’s strategy to combat the general incline in VAT fraud, due diligence and the adequacy thereof, is regularly used by HMRC to hold unassuming businesses accountable for fraudulent activity within their supply chains. Notably, this focus on due diligence has generated a high volume of cases, resulting in many businesses suffering significant damage through the application of the various powers available to HMRC.

This webinar seeks to address this key and dynamic area, with the aim of helping delegates understand the requisite compliance requirements incumbent on their business.

VAT Due Diligence

Due diligence in the world of VAT is not a new concept but has been highlighted in a recent HMRC project and is a subject frequently addressed in tribunal and court cases. Adequate due diligence is the armour to protect against having input tax refused because of fraud in the chain (unless the business actually knew of the fraud and continued to trade with the fraudster), but it needs to be appropriate to the business and undertaken in such a way as to avoid an unmanageable administrative burden.

Our 3-hour comprehensive webinar on VAT due diligence will cover:

The Impact on VAT – A detailed discussion of the impact of due diligence on VAT, including the powers available to HMRC to hold non-compliant businesses to account – inquiries, trader monitoring, warning letters, assessments and deregistration.

Due Diligence and Risk Analysis – An outline of the procedures and processes businesses may need to instigate in order to comply with due diligence requirements and the risk analysis associated with due diligence.

Practical Scenarios – Group discussion of scenarios faced by businesses in respect of due diligence.

Question and Answer – An interactive session responding to questions raised by delegates.

Digital Materials

Delegates at our VAT due diligence webinar will be provided with a digital pack covering a range of topics and materials to supplement the presentations covered in the webinar:

HMRC Guidance on Due Diligence – An outline and commentary on HMRC’s key literature on due diligence.

Significant and Recent Caselaw on Due Diligence – A detailed discussion of the most significant cases in this area and the underlying principles established by the tribunals and courts, together with a focus on the application of such principles in recent caselaw.

Chartergates Newsletters on Due Diligence – Our recent and ongoing commentary on the importance and practicalities of due diligence.

Practical Scenarios for Discussion at the Webinar – Specific due diligence scenarios for discussion at the webinar.

Your Speakers

Suraj Chauhan LL. B (Hons), LLM, BPTC Suraj was called to the Bar in 2013 and has worked in Chambers on a variety of VAT, Fraud, Tax and Criminal cases. Having practised as a barrister, Suraj has now joined the VAT and Litigation departments at Chartergates. His hands-on experience in the Courts and Tax Tribunals with missing trader fraud cases makes him an invaluable advisor on fraud and VAT due diligence.

Hilary Oldham FCA Following many years as a Finance Director in business, Hilary specialised in VAT and became a VAT consultant at a large advisory practice, and in that role provided advice to other accountants.  Her experience in business means she will seek to communicate the legislation in layman’s terms and provide advice that links the importance of legislative compliance and risk management with the need for business administration to remain efficient.

Please contact us on [email protected] to book your place on the webinar.