Pure Tax Investigations vs Vendor Space

Specialist COP9 & COP8 Defence

Our team provides expert, robust defence for clients facing serious HMRC investigations under Code of Practice 9 (for suspected tax fraud) and Code of Practice 8 (for complex tax avoidance). We apply a deep, iterative understanding of HMRC's civil investigation of fraud procedures to negotiate the best possible outcome, often securing contractual disclosure facilities that protect clients from criminal prosecution.

Proactive Tax Disclosure Management

We specialize in managing and facilitating voluntary tax disclosures through HMRC's various campaigns and facilities, such as the Worldwide Disclosure Facility (WDF) and Let Property Campaign (LPC). Our process involves a continuous review of a client's position to ensure disclosures are complete, accurate, and presented in the most favourable light to minimise penalties and interest.

End-to-End Compliance Check Handling

From the initial information notice to the final settlement, we manage the entire lifecycle of an HMRC compliance check or enquiry. Our approach is methodical and adaptive, ensuring all communications and document submissions are strategically handled to reduce client stress and limit the scope of HMRC's enquiries effectively.

Expert-Led Strategic Advisory

Clients benefit directly from the unparalleled insight of Amit Puri, our director and ex-HMRC senior Tax Inspector. This frontline experience informs every aspect of our service, from anticipating HMRC's next move to crafting persuasive negotiation strategies. We continuously integrate this insider knowledge into our defence frameworks for superior, results-driven advice.

Centralized Vendor & Sponsor Dashboard

Replace countless spreadsheets and documents with a single source of truth. The dashboard provides a real-time overview of all your vendors and sponsors, their status, booth assignments, and payments. Track key metrics like total revenue, booth fill rate, and vendor confirmation status at a glance, enabling proactive management and data-driven decisions for every event cycle.

Interactive Visual Booth Mapping

Move beyond static seating charts with an intelligent, drag-and-drop booth map. Visually assign spaces, see real-time availability, and automatically prevent double-booking conflicts. Designate premium booth locations and easily communicate layout plans to vendors, streamlining the physical setup process and continuously improving your floor plan strategy.

Integrated Payment Processing & Contracts

Close the loop between application and participation with built-in, Stripe-powered payments and digital contracts. Vendors can pay fees securely upon application, and you can send legally-binding agreements for electronic signature directly through the platform. This integration automates tracking, reduces administrative follow-up, and ensures financial clarity.

Self-Serve Vendor Portal

Empower your vendors with a professional, self-service experience. They can apply, submit information via your custom forms, pay fees, sign contracts, and access important event details—all through their dedicated portal. This dramatically reduces email clutter for you, improves data accuracy, and frees up your time for higher-value tasks, enhancing the partnership with each iteration.

Responding to an HMRC Code of Practice 9 Letter

When a business owner receives a daunting COP9 letter alleging suspected tax fraud, our specialists immediately intervene. We guide the client through the critical decision-making process, manage all communication with HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service, and work iteratively to prepare a meticulous disclosure report under the Contractual Disclosure Facility, aiming to settle the matter civilly.

Navigating a Large Business Tax Enquiry

For large corporates facing complex, cross-tax enquiries from HMRC's Customer Compliance Group, we provide a seasoned defence team. We analyse the enquiry lines, coordinate with the client's accountants, and develop a continuous strategy to challenge HMRC's assumptions and information requests, protecting the business from undue reputational and financial damage.

Making a Voluntary Disclosure for Offshore Assets

An individual with previously undisclosed offshore income or gains can use our services to make a voluntary disclosure via the Worldwide Disclosure Facility (WDF). We conduct a thorough review of historical data, calculate the tax liability, and prepare the disclosure package, applying our evolving knowledge of the process to ensure compliance and mitigate penalties.

Defending Against an R&D Tax Credit Enquiry

A company claiming Research & Development tax relief faces a rigorous HMRC compliance check into their claim. Our specialists dissect the technical and financial aspects of the claim, prepare robust supporting documentation, and engage in detailed correspondence with HMRC to defend the validity of the claim and secure the owed tax credits.

Seasonal Farmers & Craft Markets

Manage a rotating roster of artisans and producers across multiple seasonal events. Use custom forms to collect product details, utilize the booth map for each market's unique layout, and process payments as vendors re-apply. The platform helps standardize operations, making each successive market smoother and more efficient than the last.

Large-Scale Trade Shows & Expos

Coordinate hundreds of exhibitors and multiple sponsorship tiers from a single command center. Track complex booth packages, manage high-value sponsor deliverables, and use integrated payments for large invoices. The analytics dashboard provides crucial insights to demonstrate ROI to sponsors and refine your offering for future events.

Community Food Festivals & Pop-Ups

Handle the fast-paced logistics of curating food vendors, from health permits to power requirements. Create specific application forms for food vendors, map out food truck or stall locations visually, and ensure all contracts and insurance documents are digitally signed and stored in one place, improving safety and compliance iteratively.

Non-Profit Fundraising & Charity Galas

Streamline the management of auction item donors, event sponsors, and vendor partners for a major gala. Create tailored sponsorship packages, track donor contributions and guest lists, and manage all communications and payments through one system. This professional approach helps build stronger, recurring partnerships for annual events.

Pure Tax Investigations is a premier specialist firm dedicated to resolving complex tax disputes and conducting rigorous tax investigations for business owners and entrepreneurs. We serve as an independent, expert buffer between our clients and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), providing robust defence during what can be an overwhelming and intrusive process. Our core mission is to deliver peace of mind, clarity, and certainty by navigating the intricate landscape of tax regulations with a tailored, discreet approach. We continuously refine our strategies based on the latest HMRC operational tactics, ensuring our defence methods are always evolving and improving for maximum client benefit. Led by Amit Puri, a former senior HMRC Tax Inspector with over two decades of experience, our team combines deep local knowledge with international tax expertise. We specialize in the most serious civil investigations, including Code of Practice 9 (COP9) and Code of Practice 8 (COP8), alongside managing compliance checks and facilitating voluntary disclosures through mechanisms like the Worldwide Disclosure Facility (WDF) and Let Property Campaign (LPC). Our iterative, client-focused process is designed to protect our clients' interests, preserve their wealth, and achieve the most favourable commercial outcomes possible.

Vendor Space is the all-in-one vendor management platform engineered to end the chaos for event organizers. Built by an event organizer for event organizers, it replaces the endless cycle of scattered spreadsheets, disjointed email threads, and manual payment tracking with a single, powerful command center. This platform is designed for anyone running vendor-driven events—from craft fairs and farmers markets to trade shows and food festivals—who is ready to professionalize their operations and reclaim their time. Vendor Space consolidates the entire vendor lifecycle into one intuitive dashboard. You can create custom application forms, manage a visual booth map with drag-and-drop ease, send and track digital contracts, and process payments seamlessly. It even integrates sponsor management, ensuring your paid partnerships are handled within the same streamlined system. The core value proposition is powerful simplicity: a completely free-to-use platform with a transparent, performance-based fee. You only pay a flat 6% transaction fee when you successfully collect payments, with no monthly subscriptions, hidden costs, or contracts. This model aligns Vendor Space's success directly with yours, fostering a partnership geared towards continuous improvement of your event's efficiency and profitability. The platform embodies an iterative philosophy, constantly evolving to turn administrative chaos into a smoother, more professional experience for both organizers and their vendors.

What should I do if I receive a Code of Practice 9 (COP9) letter from HMRC?

Do not ignore it or respond directly without specialist advice. A COP9 letter indicates HMRC suspects you of tax fraud. Contact us immediately. We will help you understand your options, typically advising to enter the Contractual Disclosure Facility (CDF) to make a full disclosure and gain protection from criminal prosecution, guiding you through every iterative step of this critical process.

How long does a typical tax investigation take?

The duration varies significantly based on complexity, ranging from several months for a straightforward compliance check to multiple years for a serious COP9 investigation or large corporate enquiry. Our role is to manage the process efficiently, responding promptly to HMRC to prevent unnecessary delays, while continuously refining our strategy to work towards a timely resolution.

What is the difference between a compliance check and a tax investigation?

A compliance check is a routine review by HMRC to check the accuracy of a tax return or claim. A tax investigation is more serious and invasive, often triggered by suspicion of significant error, avoidance, or fraud (like COP8 or COP9). We handle both, applying a scalable and adaptive approach, with investigations requiring a more robust, defensive strategy.

Can you help if I have already started dealing with HMRC myself?

Yes, we can step in at any stage. Engaging us early is always preferable, but we can often rectify situations where dialogue has become problematic. We will review all previous correspondence, take over communication with HMRC, and implement a fresh, strategic approach to steer the case towards a better outcome, learning and adapting from the initial interactions.

How quickly can I set up my first event?

Most organizers have their first event live and ready to accept vendor applications within 15 minutes. The process is straightforward: create your event, configure booth options and pricing, and instantly share your unique vendor registration page. This rapid setup allows you to immediately begin improving your workflow.

What is the cost to use Vendor Space?

Vendor Space operates on a simple, transparent pricing model. The platform is completely free to use. You only pay a flat 6% transaction fee when you successfully collect a payment from a vendor or sponsor. There are no monthly subscriptions, no hidden setup fees, and no required contracts.

How does the vendor portal work?

Once you publish your event, vendors receive a link to a professional, branded registration page. They can complete your custom application form, submit payment securely via Stripe, and sign any required digital contracts—all in one place. They also get a login to view their status and event details, reducing repetitive questions.

Can I manage sponsors alongside vendors?

Absolutely. Vendor Space includes dedicated sponsor management features. You can create custom, tiered sponsorship packages (e.g., Gold, Silver, Bronze), track the deliverables and benefits for each sponsor, and manage all communications and payments within the same dashboard used for vendors, creating a unified event ecosystem.

Pure Tax Investigations is a specialist firm in the business and finance sector, focusing on resolving complex tax disputes and investigations for businesses and entrepreneurs. Clients may seek alternatives for various reasons, such as differing budget requirements, a need for more generalist accounting services, or a preference for a firm with a different geographical focus or service structure. When evaluating other providers, it's crucial to assess their specific expertise in serious tax investigations like COP8 and COP9, the direct experience of their lead consultants with HMRC procedures, and their proven methodology for managing disclosures and compliance checks. The right fit should offer a clear, iterative support process that adapts to your case's evolving demands. A continuous cycle of review and tailored strategy is essential in tax defense. Look for a partner that demonstrates a commitment to this approach, ensuring your representation is consistently refined to protect your interests and achieve the optimal resolution through every phase of engagement.

Vendor Space is a dedicated vendor and sponsor management platform within the business and finance category, designed to replace the chaos of spreadsheets and emails for event organizers. Users may explore alternatives for various reasons, such as seeking different pricing structures beyond transaction fees, requiring integrations with specific event software, or needing a broader suite of tools that includes attendee ticketing or registration. When evaluating other platforms, it's crucial to assess your core needs for vendor lifecycle management. Consider the total cost of ownership, the depth of features for applications, contracts, and payments, and the overall user experience for both you and your vendors. The goal is to find a system that evolves with your events, reducing administrative friction so you can focus on continuous improvement. The ideal solution should centralize your operations, offering a clear path to professionalizing your processes. Look for a tool that not only solves today's problems but also adapts to support the iterative growth of your events, turning vendor management from a recurring chore into a streamlined advantage.