TTPP110: Has HMRC’s ADR Become Pointless or Worthwhile to Solve a Tax Dispute? with Barbara Bento

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) exists to help solve disputes with HMRC, and is something you can use to help your clients during tax enquiries.

For the first time last year, I went through ADR, with a client with just over £1m of tax liability.

After £1,000s of pounds of my client’s money, many hours of their time, and our time, and much frustration, we got nowhere.

I was less than impressed.

But was my bad experience an exception?

I asked Barbara Bento, our expert guest for this episode, as I was keen to know.

She shares information about ADR, the process, her ADR experiences, and gives us advice to get the most out of ADR and best help our clients.

Click the play button above to listen or click on of the below links to go to the podcast player:

Guest – Barbara Bento

Barbara is the Head of Tax Investigations and Dispute Resolution at Buzzacott. She resolves complex voluntary disclosures and tax investigations such COP9 and cross-tax enquiries.

Barbara is a fully accredited CEDR accredited mediator. She is one of a small handful of tax investigations specialists that has this!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-bento-86912114/

Website: https://www.buzzacott.co.uk/people/barbara-bento

Me – Jack Bonehill

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackbonehill94/

Email: jack@thetaxprofessionalspodcast.com

Timings

  • A bit about Barbara
  • (8:30) What is HMRC Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and what is classed as a ‘dispute’?
  • (12:15) What does the ADR process look like from start to finish?
  • (20:45) Any situations when ADR can’t be used?
  • (26:00) Co-mediation in ADR by Barbara – what this means and the benefit
  • (30:00) My (Jack Bonehill’s) bad experience with HMRC & what can be done to avoid
  • (37:15) What is meant by partial settlement in ADR?
  • (37:45) Is ADR worthwhile & if so, when?
  • (42:45) What do you need to make ADR go well, be successful? Barbara’s advice
  • (47:15) Barbara’s worst HMRC ADR experience
  • (51:15) Is ADR remote or in person?

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