Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I actually need this, or is my solicitor covering it?
Check the scope section of your retainer letter. If it says the firm will calculate and submit the SDLT return, that is what you have bought. An increasing number of retainers now go further and expressly exclude advice on reliefs, surcharges and complex treatment. If yours does, nobody in your chain is being paid to answer the tax question, and it is worth knowing that before you exchange rather than after.
Do you charge a success fee?
No. The fee is fixed, published on the pricing page, and identical whatever the conclusion. We think an adviser whose income depends on finding a refund is the wrong person to ask whether there is one.
What if you tell me I got it right?
That is a common outcome and it is worth paying for. You end up with a written, reasoned position on file, which is exactly what you want if the return is ever looked at. The fee is the same either way and we will say so plainly rather than manufacturing a question to justify the invoice.
My property is abroad. Is that relevant?
It can be. Property interests held anywhere in the world may be relevant to the higher rates test, subject to the detailed rules and to the facts of the particular holding. This is one of the most common things people do not think to mention.