BIG GROUP was sold to thousands of people through this forum

[Saleos]

Deja vu?

Am I alone in finding a large group of people who complain that they were mis-sold a tax strategy that they didn't understand, based on an opinion they never saw, which never delivered what it promised, defending BG, ironic?

Everyone should do their upmost to make informed decisions. Try to understand the issues, the arguments being put. Why something is said to work. Take second (and third) opinions. If there is an legal opinion which claims X prospects of success, insist that you see it.

That advice holds true for schemes or 'resolution strategies'.

[cojak]

Different league I am sure. Sunday League is my bet.

*cough*

[GoneSurfing]

For one thing no one really knows what WTT strategy is as its a big secret which cant be shared as if it was then HMRC will have a defence.

WTT have to share their skeleton arguments before they reach FTT so HMRC may very well have them already.

My understanding is that now Hoey has been heard he can't appeal on anything but a point of law, so no danger of Saleos 'stealing the glory' by using a new argument from WTT.

So why not share?

[GoneSurfing]

I will say no more than it has been much, much more than £15 pcm. The following is taken from an email to a prospective client of WTT dated 18 June 2019.

"The fee for joining Big Group and inclusion into our resolution strategy is £1800 + VAT. There is also a monthly subscription fee of £15 + VAT per month.

If you do not wish to defend your position and have decided to settle with HMRC we can still assist you with managing your personal settlement. we offer a personal settlement service which will include the following:

1. Checking the calculations supplied.
2. Calculating expected settlement liability.
3. Explaining the settlement terms, certainties and uncertainties.
4. Executing, if instructed, the settlement terms.
5. Arrange for release of loans post settlement with HMRC.

The fee for this service is £1500 + VAT"

How many thousands of pounds have the members of the Hoey litigation association contributed?

And don't the association members have to continue to contribute £25 a month to Armadillo Support in order to get any update on the cases those contributions have funded?

WTT's 1800 + 15 pcm would be roughly similar would it not?

[starstruck]

WTT's 1800 + 15 pcm would be roughly similar would it not?

No idea about the amounts of money, but the glaringly obvious difference is Hoey has paid for and had his day in court whilst members of WTT/BG have paid and .....

[DealorNoDeal]

Whichever group you join (BG, Hoey, Higgs, Lancashire) is probably going to end up costing a couple of grand or so.

It's just that some groups are, in the words of HMRC, more open, honest and transparent than others.

[lowpaidworker]

Slightly different for me I used tax lawyers I had used for the very first round of this, before the loan charge ruling (when it was good old Tax Avoidance) and the subsequent loan charge. I used them again for the settlement and it was two letters and two phone calls. Cost me less than £500.

can you recommend and share. I am stuck between a rock and hardball trying to sort myself

[GregRickshaw]

What are you trying to do?

can you recommend and share. I am stuck between a rock and hardball trying to sort myself

The tax specialists I would recommend are (Gilbert Tax) but please bear in mind they won't help you with fighting the loan charge in the way groups mentioned on this post are doing. They are not looking to go to tribunal or preparing cases etc., that's not what I wanted or needed at the time.

What they will do is get a dialogue with HMRC going, help you with your DOTAS years and the others is you have them, talk to HMRC on your behalf, pick out any discrepancies or mistakes (HRMC do make them) and generally sort things out for you. They helped get a very good TTP arrangement (I like many sought help from my MP too, she did a lot to help extend the TTP) just generally tidy things up, thus taking the worry away.

You can do all of this yourself of course but I couldn't face it, worrying makes it impossible to think straight and I wanted to do the right thing.

Hope this helps at this late stage.

[lowpaidworker]

What they will do is get a dialogue with HMRC going, help you with your DOTAS years and the others is you have them, talk to HMRC on your behalf, pick out any discrepancies or mistakes (HRMC do make them) and generally sort things out for you. They helped get a very good TTP arrangement (I like many sought help from my MP too, she did a lot to help extend the TTP) just generally tidy things up, thus taking the worry away.

You can do all of this yourself of course but I couldn't face it, worrying makes it impossible to think straight and I wanted to do the right thing.

Hope this helps at this late stage.

• Dailogue with HMRC helps - I find it pot luck who you speak to. I can figure the tax numbers but if HMRC have charged tax when it was not due would be brilliant
• I think i would like someone for a reasonable fee to sort things out. I am finding doing it myself really hard based on HMRC or who I happen to speak to ducking every question you ask them
• A TTP arrangement is all I want and one that is fair and affordable so i can move on
• My MP has helped but to be fair to them they dont understand tax law same as me, in fact, I think I probably know more because of having to read up. They just make sure HMRC dont take liberties but this is based on commitments made by HMRC and J Norman in parliament or in front of committees

seriously thank you for the comments. I am not interesting in fighting I just want settlement and closure

[GregRickshaw]

[LIST][*]Dailogue with HMRC helps

This was the thing for me, the advisors I used were both former HMRC and they just seemed to know how to get consistency and/or the right person on the other end of the phone.

I hope it all works out for you too.