HMRC concedes on second Lunn judicial review
Legal costs paid to Christopher Lunn firm for proposed judicial review into Taxman's investigation procedures
THE TAXMAN has settled out of court to prevent a second judicial review into its procedures while investigating a Sussex-based accountancy firm.
HM Revenue & Customs is undertaking an ongoing investigation into Christopher Lunn and Company. The Revenue refused to deal with CLAC following an initial investigation into its clients’ tax affairs last year. However, this decision was overturned at a judicial review in February this year, which stated that HMRC did not follow correct procedures when removing CLAC’s tax agent status because it failed to allow the firm to make representations against the decision.
The firm had instigated another judicial review to challenge HMRC’s refusal to provide details of the documents it put before the court in order to get a search warrant. HMRC provided these documents two days after CLAC filed its primary argument before the hearing and agreed to pay the firm’s legal costs.
Christopher Lunn, founder and owner of Christopher Lunn and Company, said: “The primary issue in this judicial review was obtaining the release to our lawyers of the documents HMRC put before the judge when it applied for the search warrants. Our lawyers require these documents to enable them to properly examine the legality of HMRC’s actions against us and allow us to respond to the ongoing investigation.
“This has gone on too long. HMRC has my explanations. I say to them, drop the investigation and leave me alone or charge me so I can clear my name in an impartial forum.”