Complex SDLT? Conveyancer Hesitant? A Professional Solution with Compass SDLT

If your conveyancer is hesitant to handle a complex SDLT return, I provide a solution for a single fixed fee:

  • My Advice: I deliver my professionally indemnified legal advice.
  • Compass’s Submission: Our partners at Compass SDLT provide their own independent, indemnified advice and then act as your tax agent to submit the return. Compass↗.
  • Your Conveyancer’s Role: Your conveyancer remains the custodian of your funds and securely handles the SDLT payment (if any) to HMRC.
  • HMRC Enquiry Ready: If HMRC inquire into your self-assessment in the future, you have professional letters of advice clearly laying out the reasoning for your position.

This gives you two layers of professional protection, removes the specialist risk from your conveyancer, and keeps the financial transaction secure

The Problem: The Conveyancer’s Dilemma

Most conveyancers are not specialist tax advisors. Faced with a complex or arguable SDLT case, they are exposed to significant specialist risk.

This uncertainty often leads to a “safe” default: advising you to pay the highest possible rate of tax. If you overpay and later reclaim, they cannot be accused of under-declaring. The result is simple: you may end up paying thousands more than you legally owe.

Cases involving:

  • Mixed-use properties
  • Uninhabitable dwellings (“Not Suitable for Use”)
  • Higher Rate (HRAD) applicability
  • First-Time Buyer’s Relief disputes
  • Linked transactions

…all require formal tax advice and evidence-based reasoning. That is why I have built this formal service.

 

 

Our Solution: Two Clear Paths to Compliance

We remove the risk by offering two distinct, fixed-fee pathways.

Path 1: The Dual-Protection Service (Advice + Full Submission)

This is our comprehensive, “belt-and-braces” solution, providing two layers of professional indemnity.

  1. My Expert Analysis: I personally review your case and documents, providing my detailed, indemnified letter of advice and calculation.
  2. Compass’s Independent Review: Our partners at Compass SDLT conduct their own independent review of the file and issue their own indemnified letter of advice.
  3. Compass’s Submission: Acting as your official tax agent, Compass prepares and submits the SDLT1 return directly to HMRC on your behalf, removing this task entirely from your conveyancer.

Path 2: The Advice & Support Service (Advice + Guided Submission)

This path is ideal if your conveyancer is comfortable submitting the return themselves, provided they have specialist backing.

  1. My Expert Analysis: I provide the same comprehensive, indemnified letter of advice and calculation as in Path 1.
  2. Detailed Support: Instead of submitting for you, I provide your solicitor with detailed, step-by-step notes on how to complete the SDLT1 return correctly based on my advice.
  3. Your Solicitor Submits: Your conveyancer uses my guidance to confidently complete and submit the return themselves.

 

 

Transparent, Fixed-Fee Pricing

All our fees are fixed, transparent, and inclusive of VAT.

Our pricing for the core advice (Path 2) is based on the property’s value, which reflects the increased professional liability and due diligence required for higher-value transactions.

Core Advice & Support Fees (Path 2)

Property ValueStraightforward (≈0.072%)Complex (≈0.114%)
£250,000£180£285
£500,000£360£570
£1,000,000£720£1,140

To get an exact fixed-fee quote for your case, please use the Compass SDLT quotation engine.

Choosing Path 1?
If you opt for the Path 1 Dual-Protection Service, you simply pay the “Core Advice” fee from the table above, plus a single, fixed submission charge of £70 (inc. VAT).

This covers the entire Compass review, their second letter of advice, and the formal submission.

 

 

Your Next Steps: Documents & Deadlines

To ensure a smooth and compliant process, we must adhere to strict timelines.

What We Need From You

To begin our analysis, we require the following documents (all information is drawn from these to complete the SDLT1):

  • Essential:
    • Contract for sale (draft or signed)
    • Official Copies or Land Registry search results
    • Lease agreement (if applicable)
    • Sales particulars
  • Where Relevant:
    • Court order or separation agreement (for marital dissolution)
    • Evidence for “Not Suitable for Use” or mixed-use claims (e.g., surveys, photos)
  • Logistics:
    • Your solicitor’s full contact details
    • Your written authority for us to liaise with your solicitor

Critical Deadlines & Terms

  • Our Timeline: To guarantee review and submission, all required documents must be supplied at least three weeks before your completion date (ideally, just after you exchange contracts).
  • HMRC’s Timeline: The SDLT1 return must be filed and the tax paid within 14 days of the “effective date” (usually the day of completion). These deadlines are strict and absolute.
  • Key Terms:
    • Please ensure all legal names and ownership details are accurate.
    • As the work involves bespoke professional analysis, all fees are non-refundable once our review has commenced.

 

 

Get Started

Ready to remove the risk and proceed with confidence? Here is our simple 3-step process:

  1. Email Me Your Circumstances
    Send an email to [email protected] with the details of your property transaction. I will personally review your situation to help you understand your potential land tax obligations.
  2. Receive Your Fixed-Fee Quote
    If you decide you want to pursue this dual-protection pathway, I will generate a formal, fixed-fee quote from Compass on your behalf. Alternatively, if you prefer to generate the quote yourself, you can do so by [clicking here]. There is no obligation to proceed.
  3. Approve & Proceed
    Once you approve the quote, you will be invited to formally register with Compass to begin the secure process.