Extra enquiry

I deal with the accounts and taxation affairs of a reasonably-sized family company and also with the taxation affairs of the company director.

I recently received a notice of enquiry from HMRC into the company’s 2007 accounts. At the same time HMRC have requested information relating to the director’s tax returns for the last six years.

This came as a shock as I thought that the company accounts needed to be ‘broken’ before HMRC could move on to a director’s tax affairs.

On enquiry to HMRC it transpires that they hold information that the director had an offshore bank account and that they had sent a general letter to him some time ago stating that they had information relating to this but had not received a reply.

Discussing this with the director I have seen the account statements for the year ended 5 April 2007 and...