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HMRC internal manual

Advance Tax Certainty Service

ATCS05040 - Advance Tax Certainty Service: Process: Issuance: Clearance format and contents

Clearances will include the following core elements:

  • basic information (customer details, reference number, and date of issue)
  • matter(s) to which the clearance relates (summary of the issue(s) and scope)
  • HMRC's position (confirmation of agreement or disagreement with the proposed tax treatment)
  • key facts, assumptions and conditions
  • duration and time-bound validity (typically up to 5 years, with conditions for renewal)
  • monitoring and reporting (any annual reporting obligations or triggers for review)
  • reliance and limitations (statement of binding effect and disclaimer(s))
  • any market or commercial sensitivity flags
  • confirmation governance checks have been completed

Clearances will not include tax advice or recommendations on how to structure transactions.