Phone call

Declining a cold call

What to say on the phone when someone calls about a refund your business is owed, and what to ask for in writing if you want to hear more. Calm, short and the same every time.

This wording is a starting point, not legal advice. Check your contract before you send it, and take advice if you are unsure.

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What they say, and what you can say

CallerWe have identified a refund your business may be entitled to for past years.
YouThank you. We do not discuss our tax affairs on unsolicited calls. If you would like us to consider a proposal, please send it in writing to [business email].
CallerIt only takes a few minutes to check your eligibility now.
YouWe would rather see it in writing first: how your fee is worked out, who would do the work, and what happens if a claim is reduced. We will read it alongside any other proposals.
CallerThe deadline for these years is very close.
YouPlease put the deadline, and where it comes from, in the email. We will check it against the official guidance for our country. Thank you for calling.

Put it in writing

Subject: Your call about an R&D claim: please send the proposal in writing

Dear [caller name], Thank you for your call today about an R&D claim for past years. As we said on the phone, we consider proposals in writing. If you would like us to look at yours, please send: 1. Who you are: the name of your firm, the people who would do the work and their qualifications. 2. How your fee is worked out: what it is a percentage of, any cap or minimum, when it is paid, and what happens if the claim is reduced after filing. 3. The deadline you mentioned, and the official source it comes from. 4. Whether anyone is paid for introducing us to you. We will read it alongside any other proposals we have. Please do not call again about this; email is the best way to reach us. Kind regards, [your name] [your role] [business name]

Replace the highlighted [placeholders] with your own details before you send it.

Before you use it

The aim is not to argue. It is to move the conversation from the phone, where you cannot check anything, to writing, where you can. If the caller will not put the proposal in writing, that is your answer. If they will, the email below asks for what you need to compare it with any other proposal. Any deadline you are given can be checked against the country pages.

Put it in writing

Before you use it

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