As part of its guidance on HMRC’s mandatory tax adviser registration regime (updated on 1st June) the Law Society has set out additional steps for residential conveyancers.
Among them is a direct instruction: firms should have a defined process for identifying matters that are complex for SDLT and that require specialist advice. Where complex issues arise that fall outside the retainer, the Society says conveyancers should recommend that their client takes specialist SDLT advice.
For many firms, that guidance raises an immediate practical question. Who is the specialist, and what does the referral process look like? If your firm wants to deal with the majority of SDLT calculations and submissions in house but have a partner for those matters you identify as complex, Compass Gateway is the solution.
Gateway is entirely ad hoc, with no subscription, no tie-in and no ongoing obligation. You request a calculation when you need one, and Compass returns an indemnified result, a calculation certificate and a full audit document, typically within 48 hours.
For conveyancers following the Law Society’s guidance, Gateway provides a clear, structured answer to the question of where complex matters go. The process is defined, the specialist is in place, and the audit trail is built in.
If your firm wants to step back from SDLT entirely, Compass Concierge is a fully outsourced service handling all of your SDLT calculations and submissions. Compass acts as the named submitting tax adviser on every matter, taking full responsibility for the assessment, the calculation and the HMRC submission. Your team passes the transaction details across and Compass handles everything from that point forward, including any HMRC correspondence that may follow.
Compass has managed over 14,000 SDLT calculations. The process is consistent, the audit trail is structured, and every calculation is backed by professional indemnity cover. For a growing number of firms, that combination is simply a better operational model than managing SDLT in-house.
To find out more about Compass book a no obligation meeting here.
