Charles Tateson

As an award-winning ex-HMRC Senior Tax Professional with the current and relevant knowledge of HMRC's practices and ways of working, my skills and experience are highly sought after by clients and fellow tax professionals alike.

I offer peace of mind to those under investigation from HMRC as well as those who require complex tax matters to be resolved in a proactive manner with the greatest levels of tax efficiency. I take great pride in my reputation for putting clients first and never compromising on impeccable levels of customer service. 

Joining HMRC following my university studies, I held a number of positions within tax compliance over 20 years, including time spent as a Capital Gains Tax Inspector, and rose to the senior level of Grade 7 Tax Professional within the department and underwent specific training to be able to conduct investigations under the Contractual Disclosure Facility through Code of Practice 9 (COP9).

During this time I also obtained a 1st Class Honours Degree in Studies in Taxation, further increasing my knowledge and expertise in tax.

I left HMRC after almost 20 years for a similarly senior role in private practice, adding experience "from the other side of the fence" in defending clients against the most serious and complex investigations HMRC can conduct. In addition to direct client work, I have written articles for renowned tax publications and websites.

During my career I have seen the best and worst that HMRC have to offer. While working for the department I have experienced the incredibly detailed training that HMRC provide to their staff and since leaving I have seen how dramatically their actions can effect the lives of those that they are investigating.

Seeking a further challenge, I founded The Tax Faculty LLP in order to provide clients with a place to find much-needed clarity in the often confusing world of tax.

From my time in HMRC and more so in private practice, I have realised that for many people it can be very stressful experience to deal with HMRC for anything from filing tax returns to responding to letters and enquires or investigations. When HMRC conduct checks, enquiries or investigations, most people don't know who they should turn to in order to resolve their problems.

I wanted to start The Tax Faculty LLP with the aim of ensuring that all clients, whether individuals or private practices, are assisted by experienced professionals with the right skills to do the very best job that they can, all while providing an unparalleled level of customer service.

I always want to make sure that our clients know from the start that we have taken a proactive approach in order to get things right, first time and that when they are in dispute with HMRC there are experts who can represent them to resolve such disputes in their favour rather than accepting HMRC's position. HMRC can and do get things wrong.

I have helped a wide range of clients with very different needs since founding The Tax Faculty LLP.

To give an example, a client that I represented received VAT assessments following a standard VAT inspection. Their reaction was very much "Oh well, I guess that's how much I owe" when faced with a bill of almost £100,000 and it was very much their intention to simply pay what HMRC told them they had to pay. Following a review of the assessments against the statutory requirements under which HMRC must operate and the facts of the case, we were able to reduce the assessments to under £10,000. Quite a success for our clients for the act of simply making sure they sought the correct experts for the job.

More recently, a client reached out to me in order to discuss their Capital Gains Tax circumstances. Initially their thoughts were that they would be paying over £300,000 in CGT. Following my review and some well-timed advice, we were able to reduce the initial CGT liability to under £60,000 and have a high proportion of this tax deferred.

I have gained a reputation for the time I take to get to know clients and their overall aims and objectives when it comes to their tax circumstances. Making sure to speak directly with every client who has engaged The Tax Faculty LLP to conduct work for them is a priority for me.

Having now spoken to and advised hundreds of clients, I am incredibly proud at the well-deserved reputation that we are growing for not only the quality of tax advice and representation that we provide, but also that incredibly high level of personal service.

If you or one of your clients have received an enquiry letter, a Code of Practice 9 letter or even an informal check from HMRC, please feel free to get in touch for a free, no obligation consultation.

Similarly, if you require assistance with any proactive work with complex tax matters, especially in relation to Capital Gains Tax, please do get in touch. We can help you down the right path and again, we offer a free, no obligation consultation.