Tax barristers in London.
Public Access tax counsel for London taxpayers, accountants and in house teams — HMRC enquiries, Tax Tribunal appeals at Taylor House and higher tax litigation at the Rolls Building.
Specialist tax counsel for London taxpayers and advisers
Clerk and Counsel is a clerking agency that places specialist tax barristers on tax matters affecting clients in London and across Greater London and the South East. Instructions come in from individual taxpayers, accountants and in house tax teams, and from any law firm in the region needing specialist tax counsel to sit alongside its own team.
London is the centre of the UK financial services, professional services and property investment economy, and Taylor House on Rosebery Avenue is the principal First-tier Tax Tribunal venue for the country. That economic profile drives a steady flow of tax enquiries, assessments and tribunal appeals through London, and it is the work that panel counsel handle day in and day out.
Every instruction is placed on a written fixed fee where the shape of the work allows. Members of our panel cover the full spread of tax work relevant to London clients, from a short written opinion on a discrete statutory point through to full representation at the First-tier Tax Tribunal and, where the case warrants it, the Upper Tribunal and higher courts.
Local courts and tribunals
London tax cases are heard across Taylor House for the First-tier Tribunal Tax Chamber, the Rolls Building for the Upper Tribunal Tax and Chancery Chamber and Chancery Division tax litigation, and the Administrative Court at the Royal Courts of Justice for judicial review of HMRC decisions.
- First-tier Tribunal Tax Chamber, Taylor House, 88 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4QU
- Upper Tribunal Tax and Chancery Chamber, Rolls Building, 7 Rolls Buildings, Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1NL
- Chancery Division, Rolls Building, Fetter Lane
- Administrative Court, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London WC2A 2LL
Case management hearings and short interlocutory applications are now routinely listed on video, which keeps travel costs off the tax case budget and means panel counsel can be placed on London matters wherever their diary is based. For substantive hearings counsel travels to the listed venue.
Typical tax instructions from London
HMRC enquiries and assessments
Responses to information notices, discovery assessments, closure notice applications and statutory reviews.
First-tier Tax Tribunal appeals
Direct and indirect tax appeals from Notice of Appeal through case management to substantive hearing.
VAT and indirect tax
VAT registration, partial exemption, option to tax, TOGC and cross border indirect tax appeals.
IR35 and employment status
Off payroll working rules, employment status determinations and personal service company assessments.
SDLT, ATED and property tax
SDLT liability, chargeable consideration, multiple dwellings relief and ATED disputes.
IHT, trusts and residence
Inheritance tax valuations, business and agricultural property relief, trust taxation and residence disputes.
Fixed fee tax advice and representation
Every fee is agreed in writing before any work begins. A written opinion on a discrete tax point typically runs between seven hundred and three thousand pounds plus VAT depending on complexity and document volume. Drafting a Notice of Appeal to the First-tier Tax Tribunal usually sits between eight hundred and two thousand five hundred pounds plus VAT.
Hearing fees run from around one thousand pounds plus VAT for short case management hearings up to three thousand five hundred pounds plus VAT for a full day tribunal appeal at junior level, with refreshers for longer cases. Silks are quoted separately. Longer HMRC enquiries with rolling disclosure are quoted stage by stage rather than as a single fixed fee, so the London client always knows the position on cost before the next stage begins.
Tax barristers in London, common questions
Where does the First-tier Tax Tribunal sit in London?
The First-tier Tribunal Tax Chamber principally sits at Taylor House, 88 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4QU. It is the main hearing venue for direct and indirect tax appeals in London.
Can I instruct a London tax barrister on Public Access?
Yes. London taxpayers, accountants and in house teams can instruct any BSB Public Access qualified tax barrister directly, without a solicitor, for written advice, HMRC correspondence and full tribunal representation.
What are typical fees for a London tax barrister?
London written opinions run from around seven hundred pounds plus VAT for a discrete point up to three thousand pounds plus VAT for complex advice. Full day Tax Tribunal hearings typically sit between two and three thousand five hundred pounds plus VAT for junior counsel, higher for silks.
Do London tax barristers cover Upper Tribunal appeals?
Yes. The Upper Tribunal Tax and Chancery Chamber sits at the Rolls Building on Fetter Lane. Panel counsel are instructed on Upper Tribunal appeals from the First-tier Tribunal and on judicial review of HMRC decisions in the Administrative Court at the Royal Courts of Justice.
How quickly can a London tax barrister be instructed?
For listed tribunal hearings and time critical HMRC responses counsel can usually be briefed within 24 to 72 hours. For non urgent written advice the BSB client care letter is typically issued within 48 hours.
Do you cover VAT, SDLT and IR35 in London?
Yes. Members of the London panel cover VAT partial exemption and option to tax, SDLT and ATED, IR35 and off payroll working rules, alongside income tax, corporation tax, CGT and IHT.