Seven questions to ask before you let any firm handle your claim

If a capital allowances firm has approached you, or you are choosing between a few, here is the short list of questions that tells you almost everything. Ask these of anyone, including us. The answers, and how readily they come, will tell you who you are dealing with.

• Will you show me the working behind every figure? The right answer is yes, gladly. A good report sources every number to HMRC’s own guidance so you and your accountant can check it. A claim built from a generic template that nobody will let you check is a guess dressed up as a report.
• If HMRC opened an enquiry, would this claim stand up, and would you handle it? A firm that has done the work says yes without hesitation. A firm that has cut corners gets vague.
• Have you checked whether these allowances were already claimed, and whether an election was signed when I bought the property? This is where bad claims come unstuck. The answer should show they understand both.
• Who exactly will do the work, and what are their qualifications? Cageyness here is a red flag. A good firm names its people.
• How and when are you paid? A clear answer, fee in writing before work begins and payable on success, is what you want. Vagueness about money is a bad sign.
• Will you work with my own accountant and let them review everything? The right answer is yes, gladly. A firm that wants to keep your accountant out is telling you something.
• Has your company traded under other names, and if so, why? An honest firm has nothing to hide here.

Why we wrote this

Because the firms that damage our industry are the ones that get uncomfortable when a customer starts asking questions. We get more comfortable, not less, because these are the questions we have already answered for ourselves before we take anything on. Hold us to the same standard you would hold anyone. If we ever fall short of it, you should walk away too.