Understanding the Let Property Campaign

If you are a landlord in the UK, you may have heard of the Let Property Campaign. This is an initiative from HM Revenue and Customs that gives individuals the chance to bring their tax affairs up to date if they have undeclared rental income.

For many landlords, the idea of dealing with HMRC can feel daunting. Especially if they receive a letter suggesting that not all of their rental income has been reported. However, understanding how the Let Property Campaign works can make a big difference the outcome.

It is aimed any an individual landlord in receipt of rental income both in the UK or overseas who may not have declared or have made mistakes in previous returns.

HMRC will first write to a landlord when they have reason to believe there is undeclared rental income. Receiving a letter can feel unsettling but ignoring it is not an option. Responding promptly and correctly is crucial as failing to do so could result in higher penalties, interest charges or possibly a tax investigation.

The campaign is designed to encourage voluntary disclosure. By coming forward before HMRC launches a full enquiry, landlords usually benefit from:

Making a disclosure under the Let Property Campaign involves several steps:

  1. Notify HMRC of your intention to disclose
  2. Gather information about your rental income, expenses and any previous omissions
  3. Calculate the tax owed along with interest and penalties
  4. Submit the disclosure within the 90 day deadline provided by HMRC
  5. Pay what you owe or arrange a payment plan

The process may sound straightforward but accurate calculations is essential. This is where professional advice can save landlords a great deal of time, stress and potentially money.

Many landlords unintentionally fail to declare all of their rental income. We have heard many reasons over the years such as not realising that Airbnb counts as taxable income, believing that rental losses mean there is no need to file a return, forgetting about overseas properties or assuming UK tax does not apply and incorrectly claiming expenses or misunderstanding allowable deductions. HMRC takes the view that it is the landlord’s responsibility to know and comply with tax rules. Even honest mistakes can result in penalties if they are not corrected.

If you have received a letter from HMRC about undeclared rental income or if you suspect you may need to make a disclosure under the Let Property Campaign then you may need some help with this.

We have assisted many taxpayers with this over the years since this campaign has been in place and we continue to do so.

For confidential advice and support, please contact us:

info@dominichill.co.uk
01323 649 509