Caroline Walton is a UK Innovation Taxes specialist and litigation solicitor with 19 years' post qualification experience in defence litigation and 8 years' experience in advising companies in Innovation Tax Reliefs.

Before joining Bexley Beaumont, Caroline was a Fixed Share Member and Salaried Partner at Halliwells LLP and BLM LLP. Most recently, Caroline led the Innovation Taxes Group of the highly respected tax consultancy, Claritas Tax Limited. She worked with SMEs and large companies claiming Research and Development Tax Relief, Patent Box Tax Relief and, acted on behalf of companies in receipt of HMRC compliance checks into claims for R&D tax relief.

Caroline has joined Bexley Beaumont to support companies and their advisors in the preparation of compliant R&D tax relief and Patent Box tax relief claims and to defend HMRC compliance checks into claims for R&D tax relief.

Areas Caroline advises on include:

• Research & Development Tax Relief: the review of R&D tax relief claims prepared by companies and their advisors pre and post submission to HMRC, best practice as regards the steps needed (document creation & record retention, audit trails, evidence) in readiness for making a compliant claim and advice on next steps for companies who are concerned that a submitted claim might be incorrect or not-compliant.
• HMRC compliance checks into claims for R&D tax relief: the preparation of responses to HMRC requests for information/documents to closure notice, the preparation of appeals, advice surrounding the merits of a R&D tax relief claim and the preparation of a strategy to resolve the compliance check (full defence/partial defence/withdrawal of the claim/settlement of the claim and any issues surrounding penalties) with follow-up work as required, preparation for meetings and representation at meetings with HMRC, applications for ADR, preparation for ADR and representation at ADR and preparation for tribunal hearings.
• Patent Box Tax Relief: the review of Patent Box tax relief claims prepared by companies and their advisors pre and post submission to HMRC.

Caroline is described by her clients as “a pleasure to work with” and “always responsive, efficient and perceptive.”