Specialist Expert Advice. Individual Service.

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Harbour Key is a specialist tax practice working with clients and other professional advisors to provide advice, innovation and support in avoiding, solving and managing tax issues for clients.
We provide advice from advanced tax planning to simple support and assistance with managing tax compliance.




Our services include:

Private Client Advisory

Harbour Key has the expertise and experience to look at your tax from all angles and consider all tax issues to ensure you receive the most effective solution and manage your tax affairs.
Nobody wants to pay more tax than they need to, but keeping your tax bill down requires real expertise. Whilst many of the tax issues facing individuals and families are similar in their nature, no two people’s situations are ever the same. The more sophisticated and successful your financial affairs are the greater return you will receive on good tax advice.
Without specialist advice you run the risk of paying too much tax. If too much tax is not enough of a problem the alternative, and perhaps a greater risk is that you pay too little tax and end up with a large and unexpected tax demand. Timely expert advice will save you time, money and avoid problems.
Harbour Key provides highly detailed and very specific advice explaining the tax issues, how they can be resolved and the risks. We aim get to know as much as possible about your financial affairs, your plans and your way of working, before we can really provide you with the best advice. You will also wish to know your advisor and we strive to provide a personal individual service with one point of contact. From then on you will always have a personal contact who knows your affairs inside out and is your first point of call.
Typical areas we deal with are:

  • Personal tax planning
  • Capital gains tax planning
  • Selling your business
  • Cross boarder tax planning
  • Domicile and residency
  • Structuring of property ownership for own use or rental
  • Inheritance tax and tax efficient estate planning
  • Tax efficient trust structures

Harbour Key aim to provide an on-going relationship service and if requested will support your annual tax reporting requirements.

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Business / Corporate

Tax is a major cost to any business and we not only offer advice on how to legally minimise what you pay but also deal with as much or as little of the form filling as you require.
Every year we will look at the impact of tax on every business client and, as well as a constant system of review, we will normally have a final planning meeting before the financial year-end. Our help and advice in relation to business taxes is one of the services most valued by our clients.
Managing and minimising tax cost and tax risk is an important function for any business. In addition tax plays an important role in incentivising and retaining staff, by implementing tax efficient remuneration and reward strategies.
For the owners of the business there is also the exit strategy that needs to considered and planned. At Harbour Key we don’t just look at your business in isolation we also look at implication of any planning from both business and owners perspective.
Typical services provided:

  • Reconstructions and demergers
  • Profit Extraction
  • Succession planning
  • Buying and selling companies
  • Remuneration planning
  • Employee share plans
  • Capital taxes
  • Tax planning for directors and partners
  • PAYE & NIC
  • Employee expenses and benefits planning

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Investigations

HM Revenue & Customs investigations create difficult and stressful times for any taxpayer. Harbour Key specialises in resolving tax investigation or tax disclosures in the most efficient cost effective and timely manner possible.
The consequences of mishandling an investigation can be serious and costly. Firstly, there is the tax charge arising from the enquiry together with the penalties which can be imposed. Then there is the cost to you or your business by the disruption caused of an investigation. Seeking advice an early stage can minimise the disruption and enable us to take control of the investigation.
Harbour Key can advise on the strengths or weakness of a case, the appropriate tactics to be employed in dealing with the investigation. In addition, we can also look at planning measures or solutions to mitigate any tax charge arising from the investigation.
In dealing with tax investigations:

  • We are non- judgemental
  • Take control of the investigation
  • Narrow and focus on the key areas of the investigation in the most cost effective way and prevent “phishing” expeditions by HMRC
  • Defend your position within the scope of the law
  • Leave and encourage you to concentrate on your business

We deal with any of the following:

  • Civil Investigation of Fraud
  • Criminal investigations
  • Complex or contentious aspect enquiries in to annual returns
  • Employer PAYE compliance
  • Voluntary disclosures to HMRC
  • The Liechtenstein Disclosure Facility
  • Non-UK resident/domicile challenges
  • Inheritance tax investigations
  • VAT investigations
  • Status enquiries and contentious PAYE/NIC claims
  • Challenges to tax avoidance schemes and arrangements

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VAT

VAT legislation is highly detailed and with the recent rate increase to 20%, is a costly tax to get wrong. The cost in errors is not just the under paid tax which has to be made good, but due to the procedural and time limits that govern the VAT system, penalties and charges can soon mount up.
VAT errors can also have an impact on the business and in the worst case scenario the VAT number can be suspended and your suppliers will soon become aware of.
Timely and clear advice will help you manage your VAT position. At Harbour Key we will thoroughly understand your business drivers and goals through a meeting with you and your key advisers, identifying the key areas support is required.
Harbour Key can help with the following areas:

  •  VAT registration and deregistration
  •  Advice on which VAT scheme is the best for your business
  •  Preparation of VAT returns from your accounting records
  •  VAT advice on corporate transactions
  •  VAT registration and de-registration
  •  VAT grouping
  •  VAT return preparation and due diligence
  •  Help with VAT inspections
  •  Partial exemption reviews
  •  Land and property transaction planning
  •  Capital Goods Scheme calculations
  •  VAT aspects of international goods and services trades
  •  8th and 13th Directive claims to recover overseas VAT
  •  Managing and advising on VAT Tribunal appeals and VAT disputes

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