Appealing an HMRC decision ― outline

Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
Produced by Tolley and written by Anne Redston
Personal Tax
Guidance

Appealing an HMRC decision ― outline

Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
Produced by Tolley and written by Anne Redston
Personal Tax
Guidance
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Anne is a barrister who sits as a judge of the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber) and the First-tier Tax Tribunal. The commentary in this guidance note is her personal view as she is not authorised to write on behalf of the Tribunals Service or the judiciary.

Introduction

This note outlines the procedure for appealing against a decision made by HMRC. It links to further notes which explain each stage of the procedure. See also the Flowchart ― appeal process at a glance ― direct taxes and Flowchart ― appeal process at a glance ― VAT which visually summarise the process.

Note that the Government has proposed an alignment of the processes for appealing direct taxes and VAT decisions. For more details, see the Tax Administration Framework Review: Improving HMRC’s approach to dispute resolution (Apr 2025). Since the consultation closed, HMRC has been working to test and refine its proposals.

This guidance note and the further notes on appealing to the Tribunal are only a summary; they do not cover all situations.

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Anne Redston
Anne Redston

Barrister

Anne Redston is a barrister and consultant editor of Tolley's Yellow Tax Handbook. She is also a judge of the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber), the First-tier Tax Tribunal and the Social Entitlement Tribunal. She is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser, and a Fellow of both Institutes.   

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  • 28 Oct 2026 11:30

Home/ Tolley Tax Guidance/ Personal Tax / Enquiries, penalties and appeals

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