Stamp Duty Advice Bureau
SDLT Refund Terms of Agreement.

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Please note that the plain English summary provided is for convenience and informational purposes only. It is not legally binding and is intended to be a simplified overview of the actual terms and conditions. The legally binding terms and conditions are those set out in the full agreement. 

Be aware: If you apply for a Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) refund believing you’ve overpaid, HMRC may issue a refund before confirming your eligibility. However, within 9 months, HMRC may review your case. If they determine the refund wasn’t due, you’ll be required to return the refunded amount, along with any accrued interest.

An example:
Principal amount (stamp duty refund) = £5000
Interest rate = 3.5%  ( correct at time of writing )
Time = 8 months (converted to years as 8/12 = 0.67 years)
Interest = £5000 * 0.035 * 0.67 = £117.25 (rounded to the nearest penny)

If HMRC requests the refund back, you have the right to challenge their decision or agree to repay the funds. If you opt for repayment, you’ll owe the refunded amount plus interest, computed from the time the money was in your possession.

If you repay the stamp to HMRC, we will refund our fees plus interest.

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1. Definitions

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Here is a plain English summary of the terms:
1.1 Administration Charge is the money the company spends to handle your claim. This includes costs for getting information needed for your claim, even if it means paying fees under laws like the Data Protection Act 1998.
1.2 Benefit means any kind of financial advantage you get. This could be anything from reducing what you owe, not having to pay certain fees, getting better terms on loans or credits, to receiving discounts or rebates on services or products from others.
1.3 Client is you—the person or group who hires the company. If there’s more than one of you, you’re all responsible together and individually.
1.4 Compensation is all the money and benefits offered by others (like HMRC) as a result of the company’s efforts on your behalf. If there’s an appeal and the offer increases, the higher amount is considered the compensation.
1.5 Company refers to Stamp Duty Advice Bureau Ltd.
1.6 Contract is the agreement between you and the company, including the service agreement you sign and all the terms discussed.
1.7 SDLT stands for Stamp Duty Land Tax.
1.8 Services are everything the company agrees to do for you, as stated in the contract.
11.9 Service Charges are the fees you need to pay the company, calculated based on how much stamp duty you might get back and a specific fee percentage. All services are offered on a “no win, no fee” basis, meaning you only pay if successful.
1.10 Third Party in this context means HMRC.
1.11 VAT is the extra tax added to goods and services at the current rate.
1.12 In writing means any form of communication that can be saved and verified, like emails, letters, or faxes, which is considered legally binding.
1.13 A signed letter of engagement/authority is a document where you agree to the company’s terms. It can be signed either by hand or digitally, as long as the digital signature meets legal standards and can be clearly linked back to you.

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1.1 “Administration Charge” means such costs incurred in processing, preparation and submission of the Client’s claim (including without limitation any charges payable to the Third Party whether under the Data Protection Act 1998 or otherwise in order to obtain details relating to the Client’s claim for Compensation) incurred by the Company until the time that the Client’s written notice of termination is received by the Company.

1.2 “Benefit” refers to any form of advantage, inclusive of but not limited to any reduction, waiver, cancellation, deduction, rescheduling, or savings of any future or outstanding loan or interest payments, credit repayments, premiums, charges, administrative payments, taxations, or any other form of interest, offsetting, relief or deductions. This also includes any savings, discounts, rebates, or inducements offered in relation to any products or services provided by a third party or any person affiliated with the third party.

1.3 “Client” refers to the individual or entity who has engaged the services of the Company, and in the case of multiple individuals or entities, their obligations are both joint and several.

1.4 “Compensation” means the total monies and the full value of Benefits (as defined above) offered by the Third Party whether as compensation, repayment, rebate, as a gesture of goodwill or otherwise arising from any claim made by the Company on behalf of the Client for Stamp Duty Land Tax. Where such an offer is revised on appeal, then the higher amount shall be used in order to calculate the amount of the Compensation.

1.5 “Company” means Stamp Duty Advice Bureau Ltd, Company no. 14642347.

1.6 “Contract” means the contract between the Company and the Client for the provision of the Services, comprising the signed letter of engagement/authority form and these terms and conditions.

1.7 “SDLT” means Stamp Duty Land Tax.

1.8 “Services” means all or any of the services as specified in the Contract.

11.9 “Service Charges” refer to the fees to be paid by the Client as detailed in the Contract. These charges are derived from a formula that determines the fee for a stamp duty refund service, based on the amount of stamp duty that can be refunded and a specified fee percentage. This calculation method is employed in our stamp duty calculator, available at: Stampdutyadvicebureau.co.uk/tools/stamp-duty-calculator. Note: All services are provided on a “no win, no fee” basis, meaning no charges are applied if the case is not successful.

1.10 “Third Party” means HMRC.

1.11 “VAT” means value added tax at the then prevailing rate.

1.12 “In writing ” refers to an explicit and recorded authorization or agreement provided by an individual or entity using any legally verifiable means of communication, including but not limited to traditional postal mail, email, fax, or any other digital or electronic means. Such communication must be preserved and stored by the recipient for a specified period of time and deemed valid for legal and contractual purposes.

1.13 A “signed letter of engagement/authority” refers to a written document that sets out the terms of the engagement or authorization between a client and a company and is signed by the client. The signature may be in the form of a traditional handwritten signature or an electronic signature that complies with the relevant legislation, regulations, and industry standards related to electronic signatures. An electronic signature is an electronic method that is used to indicate the signer’s intent to be bound by the contents of the signed letter of engagement/authority, and it must be verifiable and identifiable as being uniquely linked to the signatory.

2. Duration.

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Plain English summary:
2.1 If the company gets money back (Compensation) for the client, the client has to pay the company for its services (Service Charges or Administration Charges). This is true even if it takes up to nine months after getting the money back.
2.2 The company tells the client it can’t get any money back.
2.3 The company decides not to go after a money-back claim, but the client can still try on their own if they want to.
2.4 If the client decides they want to end the contract, they just have to tell the company in writing, and it ends as soon as the company gets the message. But, if the client ends up getting money back from a stamp duty claim the company had already started with HMRC, the company still gets paid for its work, even if the contract has already ended.

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The Contract shall become effective on the date it is signed by the Client. It will continue to be in effect until it is terminated according to the following conditions:

2.1 The Company secures Compensation for the Client, after which the Client must pay the relevant Service Charges or Administration Charges as agreed upon.

2.2 The Company notifies the Client in writing that it cannot secure Compensation.

2.3 The Company decides not to pursue a claim for Compensation, which does not affect the Client’s rights to pursue a claim independently.

2.4 Should the Client serve a written notice to terminate the contract, such termination will be effective immediately upon the Company’s receipt of the notice. However, if following termination, the Client receives a payment as a result of a stamp duty reclaims case that the Company has presented to HMRC, the Company is entitled to payment for its Services regardless of the contract’s termination status.

3. Services

The Company agrees with the Client and the Client agrees with the Company:

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Plain English summary:
3.1 The company will work hard to get money back (Compensation) from the third party for the client, as long as the company thinks the client’s claim has a good chance of success based on its merits and potential value.
3.2 The company will make an effort to keep the client informed about how their claim is going.
3.3 If the company doesn’t manage to get any money back from the third party, it won’t charge the client for its services.
3.4 The company promises to always do what’s best for the client.
3.5a If the company gets the compensation money, it will quickly give the client their portion after taking out its fees.
3.5b If the compensation money goes directly to the client, the client must then pay the agreed-upon fees to the company.
3.6 Any money the company gets for the client will be kept in a special account that’s separate from the company’s own money.
3.7 The company doesn’t usually take legal action to get compensation. That’s not part of the deal unless the company decides to go that route.
3.8 Everything the company says on its website or in communications is just to promote its services. It’s not meant to be legal or tax advice, and you can’t sue the company based on what’s been said in those promotions.

3.1 The Company agrees to make diligent efforts to secure Compensation from the Third Party on behalf of the Client (“the Client’s claim”), provided that the Company determines it is reasonable to proceed based on the merits and value of the Client’s claim.

3.2 The Company commits to using its reasonable endeavours to keep the Client updated on the progress of the Client’s claim;

3.3 The Company will not attempt to recover Service Charges if the application for Compensation from the Third Party proves unsuccessful.

3.4 The Company pledges to act in the best interests of the Client at all times;

3.5a In instances where Compensation is received by the Company, the Company will promptly pay the Client their share of the Compensation after retaining the Service Charge;

3.5b In instances where Compensation is received directly by the Client, the Client is responsible for paying the Service Charge to the Company from the received Compensation.

3.6 The Company will hold all Compensation monies received from a third party in a designated client account that is separate from the Company’s primary bank account;

3.7 The initiation of legal proceedings to recover Compensation falls outside the scope of the Services provided by the Company, unless the Company decides otherwise.

3.8 All information and communications, including those found on our website, are solely for the promotion of our services. These do not constitute legal or tax advice, and the contents cannot be used as a basis for a legal action against the Company.

4. Charges

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Plain English summary:
4.1 If there’s more than one person signing up as the client, they’re all together and individually responsible for paying the service fees, administration fees (if they apply), and any other charges under the contract. This means the company can ask any one of those people to pay up for all the charges.

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4.1 The liability for the Client to pay the Service Charges and Administration Charge (where applicable) and any other charges that may be payable by the Client under the Contract is (where the Client is more than one person) joint and several. This means that the Company can recover all of such charges from any person who is the Client.

5. Debt Recovery

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Plain English summary:
5.1 If the company has to chase the client to get unpaid fees paid, the client will have to cover the company’s costs for doing so. This includes any admin costs, VAT that applies, court fees, and other expenses related to collecting the money owed.
5.2 Any money the client owes and hasn’t paid by the agreed time might have extra interest added to it. This interest could be 4% a year plus whatever the current base lending rate is at Barclays Bank, and it’s calculated daily.

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5.1 If the Company takes action to collect any unpaid Service Charges and/or Administration Charges from the Client, the Client is responsible for paying the Company’s costs and expenses, including administrative costs and any applicable VAT. The Client also agrees to be responsible for all costs and expenses the Company incurs in recovering any unpaid Service Charges and Administration Charge, including court fees and administrative fees.

5.2 All sums due from the Client which are not paid on the due date (see point 7.3) (without prejudice to the rights of the Company under the Contract) may bear a discretionary interest charge from day to day at the rate of 4% per annum over the base lending rate of Barclays Bank plc from time to time.

6. General Obligations of the Client

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Plain English summary:
The client agrees to do the following with the company:
6.1 Quickly give the company any information it needs when asked.
6.2 Make sure all the information given to the company is true, complete, and not misleading.
6.3 Let the company talk to the third party (or anyone else it needs to) on the client’s behalf to provide its services, and allow the company to share any information it thinks is necessary.
6.4 Give the company exclusive rights to negotiate the client’s claim based on its merits.
6.5 Quickly respond to any letters or emails from the company, and send back any letters from the third party to the company within 14 days.
6.6 Follow these terms and conditions and be ready to pay any service or administration fees if the client breaks these terms.
6.7 Agree not to hire any other service to handle this claim without the company’s written OK.
6.8 Not try to handle the claim on their own or reach out to the Financial Ombudsman Service about this claim while the contract is in place.
6.9 Not to talk or write to the third party about the claim without getting the company’s approval first, as it could mess up ongoing talks.
6.10 Confirm that they haven’t already received or asked for compensation from the third party for this issue before signing the contract. If they have, they need to tell the company and provide any related documents.

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The Client agrees with the Company:

6.1 To provide promptly all such information as the Company may from time to time reasonably request;

6.2 To ensure that all information sent to the Company is true, accurate, not misleading and shall not contain any relevant omissions;

6.3 To authorise the Company to act on its behalf to contact the Third Party or such other persons, firms or companies as the Company considers necessary to perform the Services and to authorise the release of any such information as the Company deems appropriate;

6.4 To authorise the Company on an exclusive basis to negotiate on the merits of the Client’s claim;

6.5 To deal with all correspondence from the Company promptly, including without limitation to return to the Company either the Third Party’s correspondence as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event within 14 days.

6.6 To accept these terms and conditions as binding on the Client and to be responsible to the Company for any breach by the Client including the payment of the Service Charges and/or the Administration Charge (as applicable);

6.7 Not to appoint any other claims handling company or other person firm or company to provide the Services during the term of the Contract without the prior written consent of the Company;

6.8 Not to pursue the claim during the term of the Contract personally and not to contact Financial Ombudsman Service in connection with the Client’s claim;

6.9 Not to contact or correspond or communicate with the Third Party without the consent of the Company, as this may prejudice any ongoing negotiations;

6.10 That it has not previously claimed or received compensation or an offer of compensation from the Third Party. Should any compensation or offer of compensation have been received prior to commencement of the contract, the client will make the company aware and supply any relevant documentation pertaining to the previous claim.

7. Payment Obligations of the Client and the Company

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Plain English summary:
7.1 The fees (Service Charges) the client needs to pay the company are written in the agreement they both signed. If the client gets the compensation money directly from the third party, they must pay the company its fees. Also, if the company gets the compensation first, it can take out its fees before giving the rest to the client.
7.2 The client has to pay all the fees and charges to the company within 7 days of getting the bill, unless the bill says they can pay later.
7.3 If the company gets a compensation offer that it thinks is fair, but the client says no to it, the company can still charge the client a fee. This fee would be what the client would have paid if they had accepted the offer.
7.4 If the client doesn’t answer within 28 days after getting a compensation offer, and the company tried hard to get an answer, it will be assumed that the client said yes to the offer. Then, the company can take its fees out of the compensation.
7.5 If the client owes money to the tax office (like income tax), and the tax office decides to use the compensation to cover those debts, the client still has to pay the company’s fees after the compensation is used to pay off those debts.

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7.1 The amount of the Service Charges payable by the Client to the Company is set out in the signed letter of engagement/authority form relating to the Services. The Client agrees that it is liable to pay the Service Charges to the Company if the Compensation is paid directly to the Client by the Third Party and the Company may deduct its Service Charges and any other fees due to the Company under the Contract from any Compensation it receives on the Client’s behalf.

7.2 All Service Charges and Administration Charge (where applicable) and other fees payable by the Client to the Company shall be paid by the Client within 7 days of the Company’s invoices for such charges or (if stated) by such later date stated in the Company’s invoices.

7.3 If the Company obtains an offer of Compensation from the Third Party on behalf of the Client, which the Company considers fair and reasonable based on relevant guidelines, and the offer is rejected by the Client, the Company reserves the right to charge a fee equivalent to the Service Charge that would have been payable had the Client accepted the offer as advised by the Company.

7.4 If the Client does not respond within the 28-day period and the Company has made reasonable efforts to pursue a response, the Client will be deemed to have accepted the offer of Compensation and the Company may deduct its Service Charge and any other fees due under the Contract from the Compensation received on the Client’s behalf.

7.5 In the event that you have other tax liabilities (Income Tax under Self-Assessment for example) arising with HMRC, which lead to HMRC offsetting all or part of the compensation against those liabilities, the fees due to the company will nevertheless be payable upon the successful compensation being set against those pre-existing liabilities.

8. Performances

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Plain English summary:
8.1 The company will try its best to finish its work in a fair amount of time after it gets the signed agreement from the client. But, it won’t be responsible for any hold-ups that are out of its hands, like delays from the third party or the client themselves. If the client wants any documents back, the company will return them as long as the client asks in writing and sends a stamped envelope with their address. If the client doesn’t send an envelope, the company will safely get rid of the documents.

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8.1 The Company will make reasonable efforts to complete the Services within a reasonable timeframe from the receipt of the signed letter of engagement/authority form by the Client. However, the Company will not be liable for any delays caused by circumstances outside of its control, such as delays caused by the Third Party or the Client. If the Client requests the return of any documents, the Company will do so provided that the Client provides a written request and a stamped, self-addressed envelope. If the Client does not provide an envelope, the Company will securely dispose of the documents.

9. Liability

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Plain English summary:
9.1 The company will do its best to provide its services properly, with good skills and care. But, it’s not promising anything beyond that. Specifically, the company isn’t responsible for checking if the numbers in the documents are correct; it just focuses on whether the client’s claim has merit.
9.2 If the company is at fault, its responsibility to the client is limited in these ways:
9.3 If someone is hurt or dies because the company was careless or did something wrong on purpose, there’s no cap on what the company might have to pay.
9.4 For any other type of problem, the company will only pay for issues that could have been expected because of their mistake, and the amount won’t be more than what they think the client’s claim is worth, minus what the client would have paid them.
9.5 If the client believes the company’s mistake caused them a loss, they need to tell the company as soon as they can after finding out about the problem.
9.6 The company won’t be responsible for money lost because of legal changes, new interpretations, practices, or policies that come out after the client signed up with the company.
9.7 The company and its staff won’t be liable for any losses you suffer because of lies or hidden truths given to them, unless it was something they should have caught while doing their job properly.
9.8 The client agrees not to sue any of the company’s staff personally over the services provided.
9.9 If the client or someone else gives wrong or incomplete information, or doesn’t follow the company’s advice or respond on time, and this leads to extra costs from the third party within 9 months after getting compensation, the company isn’t liable. However, in these situations, the company will give back any fees the client paid.
9.10 If the third party (e.g., HMRC) asks for the compensation money back within 9 months after paying it out, and the client returns the compensation, the company will give back any service fees the client paid. This includes interest costs calculated based on the HMRC repayment rate at the time of the refund. The interest is calculated by taking the repayment rate, multiplying it by the number of days the service fee has been with the company, and then multiplying that by the total service charge. However, the company won’t give back the portion of the compensation money that was paid to the client, minus the service fees.

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9.1 The Company is liable to provide the Services with reasonable skill, care, and time. However, it does not make any other promises or warranties about the Services. The Company is not responsible for verifying the accuracy of mathematical calculations in the provided documents but only evaluates the merits of the Client’s claim.

9.2 The liability of the Company to the Client in contract, tort (including negligence for breach of statutory duty) or otherwise howsoever under or in connection with the Contract shall be limited as follows:

9.3 For death or personal injury resulting from the Company’s negligence or fraud, no limit shall apply:

9.4 For any other loss or damage, liability is limited to losses that are a foreseeable consequence of the Company’s breach of contract or tort and shall not, in any event, exceed the amount at which the Company (acting reasonably) values the Client’s claim less the Service Charge that would have been payable.

9.5 Any claim by the Client for compensation for loss caused by the Company’s negligence or breach of contract must be notified to the Company as soon as practicable after the damage is discovered.

9.6 The Company will accept no liability for losses arising from changes in the law or the interpretation thereof, practice, or public policy that are first published after the date on which the engagement letter is legally effected.

9.7 To the fullest extent permitted by law, we, our principal(s)/director(s), shareholders and staff, shall not be held responsible for any loss suffered by you arising from any misrepresentation (intentional or unintentional) supplied to us orally or in writing. This includes fraudulent acts, misrepresentation or wilful default on the part of any party to the transaction and their directors, officers, employees, agents or advisers. However, this exclusion shall not apply where such misrepresentation, withholding or concealment is or should have been evident to us without further enquiry while carrying out the procedures agreed with reasonable care and skill.

9.8 You agree that you will not bring any claim in connection with services we provide to you against any of our partners, shareholders, directors or employees personally.

9.9 The Company shall not be held responsible for any losses, penalties, surcharges, interest or additional liabilities imposed by the Third Party within 9 months of the Compensation payment, due to incorrect or incomplete information provided by the Client or others, or failure to provide appropriate information or act on the Company’s advice or respond to communications from the Company or relevant authorities. In such cases, the Company will refund any Service Charge paid by the Client.

9.10 Should the third party, within 9 months of the compensation payment, request a refund of the compensation, and the client refunds the compensation, then the Company will refund any service charge paid by the Client to the Company, including appropriate interest costs based on the HMRC repayment rate published at the time of the refund to the third party. The interest cost calculation is based on the repayment rate of interest multiplied by the number of days the service charge has been payable to the Company, multiplied by the total service charge. The Company will not refund the compensation less the service charge, originally paid to the Client.

10. Litigation

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Plain English summary:
10.1 The company can start a lawsuit to get compensation for the client if the client agrees to it, following these specific rules.

When the company sues on the client’s behalf, the client must:
10.2 Follow the company’s and its lawyers’ reasonable requests quickly;
10.3 Let the company run the lawsuit in the way it thinks is best;
10.4 Share all the needed information and documents the company or its lawyer asks for;
10.5 Make sure the company’s lawyer shares all details about the lawsuit with the company when asked;
10.6 Allow the company’s lawyer to send the company its fees directly from any money won;
10.7 Pay the company its fees if the compensation money goes directly to the client.

The client will have to cover the lawsuit costs in these situations:
10.9 If the client gives misleading or incomplete information that would have stopped the company or its lawyer from taking the case;
10.10 If the client ends the contract while the lawsuit is still going on;
10.11 If the client is slow to provide needed information, like witness statements, when asked;
10.12 If the client doesn’t fix a problem with how they’re following the contract within 15 days after the company points it out.

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10.1 The Company shall have the right to commence legal proceedings on the Client’s behalf to pursue a claim for Compensation should the client agree to such legal proceedings, subject to the provisions of this Condition 10.

10.2 Where the Company commences legal proceedings on the Client’s behalf to pursue a claim for Compensation, the Client agrees to:

10.3 Comply with all reasonable requests of the Company and/or any legal representative appointed by the Company without undue delay;

10.4 Permit the Company to have the conduct of the claim and to pursue the claim in such manner as the Company in its absolute discretion thinks fit;

10.5 Disclose all relevant information and documentation as reasonably requested by the Company and/or its legal representative;

10.6 Instruct any legal representative appointed by the Company to provide all information relating to the claim to the Company, at the Company’s request;

10.7 Authorise any legal representative appointed by the Company to pay the Service Charges directly to the Company from any Compensation recovered by the legal representative;

10.8 To pay the Service Charges to the Company if the Compensation is paid directly to the Client.

10.9 The Client agrees to be responsible for the costs of any legal proceedings that the Company commences on the Client’s behalf, the Client shall be responsible for such costs and Administration Charge in any of the following circumstances:

10.10 The Client misleads the Company and/or any legal representative appointed by the Company in any way or any information provided by the Client contains material omissions which would (if not omitted) have resulted in the legal representative and/or the Company declining to accept the Client’s instructions;

10.11 The Client terminates the Contract during the course of the proceedings; or processing the Client’s claim.

10.12 The Client fails to provide the Company and/or the legal representative with information (including without limitation witness statements) within a reasonable time from the time that such information is requested;

10.13 The Client fails to remedy a breach of its obligations under the Contract within 15 days of a notice from the Company requiring the Client to do so.

11. Termination

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Plain English summary:
When the Company Can End the Contract:
11.1 The company can stop the contract right away if they send a written notice to the client because:
11.2 The client breaks an important rule of the contract in a big way that can’t be fixed, or if it can be fixed, they don’t fix it within 15 days after the company tells them what they did wrong and asks for it to be corrected.
11.3 The client goes bankrupt, makes a deal with their creditors, or has someone take control of their assets because of mental health reasons.

When the Client Can End the Contract:
11.4 The client can stop the contract whenever they want, without any penalties, by sending a written notice to the company.
11.5 To end the contract, the client needs to send a written notice to the company. The company should send back a written acknowledgment within 7 days of getting the notice. If the client doesn’t get this acknowledgment within 7 days, they should contact the company’s Customer Relations Department.

Also, if the client ends the contract but later gets money from HMRC for a stamp duty claim the company submitted for them, the company still gets paid for their work, even though the contract is over.

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11.1 The Company reserves the right to terminate the Contract immediately by issuing a written notice to the Client if:

11.2 The Client significantly violates any contract term that cannot be corrected, or if it can be corrected, is not rectified to the Company’s satisfaction within 15 days following a written notice from the Company that outlines the violation and demands its correction.

11.3 The Client is declared bankrupt, agrees to a voluntary settlement with creditors, or a receiver is appointed over their assets under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Client Serving Notice to the Company:

11.4 The Client is entitled to end the Contract at any time without penalties by sending a written notice to the Company.

11.5 To terminate the Contract, the Client must send a written notice to the Company, which the Company will acknowledge in writing within 7 days of receipt. If the Client does not receive this acknowledgment within the 7-day period, they should reach out to the Company’s Customer Relations Department.

Furthermore, if the Client decides to terminate the Contract through a written notice, such termination is valid immediately upon the Company’s receipt of the notice. However, if following termination, the Client receives a payment from HMRC for a stamp duty reclaim case submitted on their behalf by the Company, the Company is entitled to payment for its services regardless of the contract’s termination status.

12. Force Majeure

The Company shall not be liable for any delay or other failure to perform any services by reason of any cause whatsoever beyond its reasonable control and the time for performance shall be extended by the period of any such delay.

13. Confidentiality

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Plain English summary:
13.1 Both the company and the client agree to keep everything about their agreement and any information they learn from each other secret. They promise to only use this information for things related to their contract.
13.2 They both understand that this promise to keep things secret doesn’t apply to information that’s already out there in public, unless it became public because someone broke this promise.
13.3 The commitment to keep information secret will go on forever, even after the contract has ended.

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13.1 Both parties agree to keep confidential the subject matter of the Contract and any information (whether written or oral) acquired by that party in connection with the Contract and not to use any such information except for the purpose of performing its obligations under the Contract.

13.2 Both parties agree that the provisions of Condition 13.1 shall not apply to information already in the public domain other than as a breach of Condition 13.1.

13.3 The restrictions contained in Condition 13.1 shall continue to apply following the termination of the Contract without limit in time.

14. Conflict of Interest

14.1 The Client agrees that the Company shall not be required to disclose to the Client or account to the Client in respect of the Company’s interests, such as in relation to advice on marketing or other matters, provided that the Company does not contravene any applicable rules, regulations or codes of conduct.

15. Privacy Policy and Data Protection

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Plain English summary:
15.1 The company promises to keep all your personal info safe, following their privacy policy which you can find on their website. They’ll handle your data according to the Data Protection Act 1998.
15.2 If you ask in writing, the company will show you the personal data they have about you, as allowed by the law. They might charge a fee for this, but it won’t be more than what the law allows (right now, that’s £10).
15.3 If any of your personal details they have are wrong, the company will fix them if you ask.
15.4 By agreeing to the company’s privacy policy, you’re okay with them sharing your personal info with certain others like banks, financial advisors, HMRC, lawyers, accountants, or similar institutions if it’s to help with your claim for compensation. They also might share it with their partners or related companies. But apart from these exceptions and what’s mentioned in the privacy policy, the company won’t give your info to anyone else without telling you.

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15.1 All personal data will be held in accordance with the terms of the Company’s privacy policy which can be found on the Company’s website www.stampdutyadvicebureau.co.uk/privacy . All data is held in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 (“DPA”).

15.2 The Company agrees to comply with any written Subject Access Request under the DPA made by the Client for the personal data that it holds subject to any exemptions that may apply from time to time. The Company charges an administration fee for providing this information, which shall not exceed the fee from time to time permitted under the DPA (currently £10).

15.3 The Company further agrees to correct any inaccuracies in the Client’s personal data held at the request of the Client.

15.4 By acceptance of the Company’s privacy policy and unless and until the Company receives written instruction to the contrary, the Client agrees that the Company may share the Client’s personal information with banks, Financial Advisers, HMRC, solicitors, accountants or other relevant institutions and to affiliates, associated companies or firms or service partners for the purposes of assisting the Client with the Client’s claim for compensation that the Company believes may be of assistance to the Client. Except as explicitly stated in this condition and the privacy policy, the Company does not disclose to any third party the information provided by the Client.

16. Misleading Information

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Plain English summary:
16.1 If the client gives the company misleading or incomplete information that causes the company to agree to work with the client (when it wouldn’t have if it knew the whole story), the company can charge the client for any costs that come from this mistake.
16.2 The company won’t be responsible for any money lost, fines, extra charges, interest, or extra taxes that happen because the client gave wrong, incomplete, or misleading information. This includes mistakes or missing details from the client or anyone else, not giving the right information, not following the company’s advice, or not answering the company or HMRC quickly.

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16.1 The Company reserves the right to charge the Client for any costs incurred by the Company if any information provided by the Client is misleading or contains material omissions which result in the Company providing the service to the Client, which it would have declined to do, if it had been in possession of the full information.

16.2 The Company will not be held responsible for any losses, penalties, surcharges, interest, or additional tax liabilities arising from fraudulent or negligent information provided by the Client. This includes incorrect or incomplete information supplied by the Client or others, failure to supply appropriate information, or failure to act on the Company’s advice or respond promptly to communications from the Company or HMRC.

17. Assignment and Subcontracting

__________

Plain English summary:
17.1 The company can transfer this contract and its responsibilities to someone else if it wants to, but this won’t affect the client’s rights. However, the client can’t give the contract to someone else, except if they’re passing it on to their legal heirs or representatives.

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17.1 The Company reserves the right to assign the Contract and all rights under it and to subcontract to others all or any of its obligations. Any assignment will in no way prejudice the client’s rights. The Contract is personal to the Client and is not assignable except to the personal representatives of the Client.

18. Rights of Third Parties

18.1 A person who is not a party to the Contract will have no rights pursuant to the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce the Contract.

19. Entire Agreement

19.1 The Contract contains all the terms which the Company and the Client have agreed in relation to its subject matter. Nothing in the Contract excludes or limits either party’s liability for fraudulent misrepresentation.

20. Notices

20.1 Any notice to be given in accordance with the Contract and these terms and conditions must be in writing.

21. Severability

21.1 If any provision of the Contract is held by any court or other competent authority to be void or unenforceable in whole or part, the other provisions of the Contract and the remainder of the affected provisions shall continue to be valid.

22. Variations

No variation to these conditions shall be binding unless agreed in writing between the Company and the Client.

23. Complaints

The Company operates a complaints mechanism, full details of which are set out in stampdutyadvicebureau.co.uk/complaints

24. Waiver

No failure or delay in exercising any of the Company’s rights shall constitute a waiver of the same or any other of its rights.

25. Law and Jurisdiction

The law applicable to the Contract shall be English law and the parties consent to the jurisdiction of the English courts in all matters affecting the Contract.

26. Execution

This AGREEMENT (hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of {{contractCreationDate}} (the “Effective Date”), by and between {{YourFullNameAsShownOnYourVerifiedID}}, residing at {{UserAddrLine1}}, {{UserAddrLine2}}, {{UserCity}}, {{UserCountry}}, {{UserZipPostcode}} either acting in their individual capacity or, if applicable, as a duly authorized representative of {{NameOfLimitedCompanyUsedForPurchase}}, a limited company registered under the laws of England and Wales, with Company Number {{CompanyNumber}} (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Client”), and Stamp Duty Advice Bureau Ltd, a limited liability company incorporated under the laws of the United Kingdom (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”).

The undersigned individual, who represents and warrants that they have the requisite legal authority to enter into this Agreement either on their own behalf or on behalf of the Client, as applicable, hereby agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions set forth herein, and any applicable laws and regulations governing the relationship between the parties.

For and on behalf of the Client:

{{contractClientSignature}}

Signed by: {{YourFullNameAsShownOnYourVerifiedID}}
(If applicable) On behalf of {{NameOfLimitedCompanyUsedForPurchase}}
Date: {{contractClientSignDate}}

For and on behalf of Stamp Duty Advice Bureau Ltd:

{{contractOrganizationSignature}}

Signed by: Nicholas Garner
Position: Founder. Stamp Duty Advice Bureau Ltd
Dated: {{contractOrganizationSignDate}}

This Agreement is created and executed on behalf of Stamp Duty Advice Bureau Ltd, a company registered under the laws of the United Kingdom with its registered office at 107 Cheapside, London, EC2V 6DN.