ATM, yes you are right, apologies, did not read the original post clearly enough. Brookfield are well known to try and both avoid their obligations and on the other hand want to penalise pilots. (old News)
https://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0729/46...ts-criticised/
Following the German case, the UK HMRC appears to have its eyes set on collecting the employment taxes (possibly due) from Brookfield and probably need the evidence of tax issues from contractors supplied via Brookfield.
So what exactly is an HMRC investigation?
From a guidance source:
"There is no standard definition. Investigative contact made by HMRC comes in many forms; some more serious than others.
Broadly speaking; a tax investigation is an enquiry launched by HMRC into the affairs of an individual, business or other entity.
It can cover the full range of taxes that come under HMRC’s jurisdiction – including; income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax, tax credits and VAT.
HMRC investigation proceedings generally commence when the Inspector has concerns regarding information that has been supplied to them – information that leads to a potential tax loss.
An HMRC investigation can also begin if the department identifies a UK resident who is operating in the hidden economy. In other words, an individual or business that is not in the tax system.
Less than 10% of investigations begin randomly. So if you receive a tax investigation letter from HMRC, you can be reasonably sure that they feel you have underpaid tax.
If one is a "current" contractor via Brookfield I suspect a heavy handed gagging attempt will occur, but at the end of the day its the individual that has the sleepless nights and ultimately needs to get their affairs to a level they are comfortable with. My advice FWIW would be to send everything paperwork wise to HMRC and let them decide, bite the bullet on the tax as the penalty for evasion can be 150% of the tax due, plus the tax itself.