How to Make a Let Property Campaign Disclosure to HMRC

If you have unreported rental income, the Let Property Campaign provides a structured way to resolve this with HMRC. Voluntary disclosure is usually treated more favourably than waiting for HMRC to contact you, and allows you to manage the process at your own pace. This guide outlines each step, from notifying HMRC to submitting your figures and making payment.

Before You Start: Is the Let Property Campaign Actually Right for You?

The Let Property Campaign is intended for individual landlords with undisclosed income from residential lettings. Before proceeding, confirm that this is the appropriate route for your situation. You are likely to qualify if:

• You are an individual landlord, rather than a limited company or a trust.
• You have undisclosed rental income from a UK or overseas residential property.
• HMRC has not already opened a compliance check or enquiry into your affairs before you notify them.
• Your only undisclosed tax issue relates to residential letting income, rather than a wider range of untaxed income or gains.

If your undisclosed income includes more than residential letting, such as overseas investments or other business income, another disclosure route like the Worldwide Disclosure Facility may be more suitable. The correct route affects both potential penalties and HMRC’s
acceptance of your disclosure, so seek professional advice if your situation is complex.
Risk: If HMRC has already contacted you about an enquiry or compliance check before you notify them, your disclosure is unlikely to be accepted under the Let Property Campaign, and you should take advice before proceeding.

Step 1: Notify HMRC of Your Disclosure

The first step is to notify HMRC, through the Digital Disclosure Service, that you intend to make a disclosure. This is the most important step as it prevents a discovery by HMRC and the start of a formal enquiry, where the penalties are likely to be much higher. You do not need to provide figures at this stage. HMRC will then send you a Disclosure Reference Number and a Payment Reference Number, which you must use in all correspondence. If you have an agent, they can notify HMRC on your behalf with your written authority using form COMP1a.
Tip: You have 90 days from the date on your notification acknowledgement to submit your full disclosure and payment. Keep this letter safe and note the deadline immediately.

Step 2: Gather Your Rental and Other Income Figures

With your reference numbers, gather the information needed to calculate what you owe. For each relevant tax year, you will generally need:

• The total rent received from each property, by tax year.
• The allowable expenses incurred in running the property, such as repairs, letting agent fees, insurance, and (subject to the rules in place for each year) mortgage interest.
• Details of any other undeclared income or gains, as the disclosure must cover all your undeclared tax affairs, not just rental income.
• Supporting documents, such as bank statements, letting agent statements, and tenancy agreements, where available.

For a fuller explanation of how rental profit is calculated year by year, see our companion guide on working out your rental profit.

Tip: If your records are incomplete, HMRC accepts reasonable estimates based on available information, such as recent bank statements. Keep clear notes on how you calculated each figure in case HMRC requests an explanation.

Step 3: Work Out the Tax You Should Have Paid

Once you have your income and expense figures for each tax year, deduct allowable expenses from rental income to calculate your taxable profit. Add this profit to any other income for that year, and apply the relevant income tax bands and personal allowance for that period.
For example, if a landlord had a rental profit of four thousand pounds in a tax year and this fell within their basic rate band, the tax would be calculated at the basic rate for that year. Since rates and allowances change over time, calculate each year separately using the rules in place at the time.

Step 4: Estimate Interest and Penalty

In addition to any tax due, HMRC charges interest on late payments at the base rate plus an additional percentage for each year. This is calculated from the date the tax was originally due to the settlement date. You are required to self-assess a penalty rate based on your behaviour (such as whether the omission was careless or deliberate) and whether your disclosure is unprompted or prompted. Penalty rates generally range from 10% to 30% of the tax due. The penalty can be reduced further depending on how fully you cooperate and provide information to HMRC. Whilst HMRC do provide an online calculator to help with this, they often, in our experience, do not accept their own figures for interest charges!
For more details on how these penalty ranges are calculated, see our dedicated guide to Let Property Campaign penalties.

Risk: Your self-assessed penalty must match HMRC’s calculation if they were investigating you. If understated, HMRC may reject your disclosure or seek a higher amount. Check this figure carefully or have it reviewed by a specialist before submitting.

Step 5: Complete the Online Disclosure

The final part is the actual disclosure submission. Once your figures are ready, submit the full disclosure online. This will need to include the rental profit and tax due for each year, any other income or gains, the interest calculation, your self-assessed penalty rate with the reasoning set out, and finally a formal declaration that your disclosure is correct and complete to the best of your knowledge.

Risk: The declaration you sign is a formal statement to HMRC. SubmitRisk: The declaration is a formal statement to HMRC. If your disclosure is found to be materially inaccurate or incomplete, it may be rejected, result in higher penalties, or, in serious cases, lead to a criminal investigation. Accuracy is essential at this stage.ax, interest, and penalty to be made at the same time as your disclosure, and by the deadline stated on your notification acknowledgement. If you are not able to pay the full amount straight away, you should contact HMRC before the deadline to discuss a Time to Pay arrangement, rather than submitting your disclosure without payment or a payment plan in place. Being upfront about your circumstances generally leads to a more workable arrangement.

After You Submit: What Happens Next?

HMRC should acknowledge receipt of your disclosure. The figures are then reviewed, and, if everything is in order, acceptance will be confirmed. If they need more information, HMRC may contact you for clarification or evidence. If HMRC believes your disclosure is materially wrong or incomplete, HMRC can reject it and may impose higher penalties. You are also then required to report your rental income accurately in future years, even after your disclosure is settled through the normal self-assessment tax return service.

Why Work with a Landlord Tax Specialist on Your LPC Disclosure?

Let Property Campaign disclosure requires several judgment calls, such as identifying the correct years, calculating allowable expenses, and classifying your behaviour for penalty purposes. Errors can cause delays, rejection, or higher penalties. A specialist can assist by providing a let property Campaign is the right route for your situation.

• Accurate calculation of rental profit, interest, and penalty across every relevant year.
• A professionally prepared and complete submission to HMRC.
• Support in negotiating a payment plan with HMRC, where needed.
• Ongoing support if HMRC raises questions after your disclosure has been submitted.

If you need assistance preparing your Let Property Campaign disclosure, contact our team for a confidential discussion about your situation.

Related Guides

• Let Property Campaign hub: uklandlordtax.co.uk/let-property-campaign
• Let Property Campaign penalties explained: uklandlordtax.co.uk/lpc-penalties
• How to work out your rental profit: uklandlordtax.co.uk/rental-profit-how-to
• Landlord tax: the complete guide: uklandlordtax.co.uk/landlord-tax
• Contact UK Landlord Tax: uklandlordtax.co.uk/contact

Sources
GOV.UK, Let Property Campaign: your guide to making a disclosure
GOV.UK, Make a voluntary disclosure to HMRC
GOV.UK, Let Property Campaign: enquiries

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