Coursebricks vs Pure Tax Investigations (HMRC Defence)

Unified Course Scheduling

Manage your entire training calendar from one centralized dashboard. This feature allows you to effortlessly assign instructors, book venues, and attach training materials to each course session. You can track real-time availability, avoid double-booking conflicts, and keep your entire team synchronized. It replaces the need for complex spreadsheets, providing a clear, visual overview of all your upcoming courses, making planning and adjustments a breeze.

Integrated Website & Checkout

Showcase and sell your courses directly through a professional, branded website. Coursebricks provides a seamless storefront experience where potential learners can browse, register, and pay online. You can offer flexible payment options like credit card payments via Stripe or invoice-based bookings. Every registration automatically captures customer details directly into your built-in CRM, ensuring no lead is ever lost and all student information is organized in one place.

Smart Automations & Workflows

Automate your entire student communication journey to save hours of manual work. Set up workflows to send automatic confirmation emails upon registration, share pre-course materials, dispatch payment reminders, send out post-course surveys, and instantly deliver digital certificates upon completion. Every automated message is tracked, giving you full visibility into what was sent and when, ensuring a smooth and professional experience for every learner.

Targeted Email Marketing & Broadcasts

Increase course enrollment with powerful, segmented email campaigns. Move beyond generic blasts by using advanced filters to send personalized promotions and updates to specific audiences. For example, you can target learners who attended a beginner course with an offer for an advanced session. This feature helps boost fill rates, generate more qualified leads, and drive revenue through automated, targeted communication that resonates.

Specialist Ex-HMRC Leadership

Our team is led by Amit Puri, a former senior HMRC Tax Inspector. This insider perspective is invaluable. We understand HMRC's tactics, operational approaches, and thought processes, which allows us to anticipate challenges, communicate effectively with investigators, and build the strongest possible defence strategy for your specific situation.

Comprehensive Investigation Defence

We manage the full spectrum of HMRC engagements. This includes defending clients during serious civil investigations like Code of Practice 9 (COP9) for suspected fraud and Code of Practice 8 (COP8) for complex avoidance, as well as handling routine business compliance checks and comprehensive, cross-tax enquiries into large corporate entities.

Proactive Tax Disclosure Management

We don't just defend; we also help you regularise your affairs proactively. Our specialists expertly guide clients through voluntary disclosure facilities like the Worldwide Disclosure Facility (WDF) for offshore matters and the Let Property Campaign (LPC) for undisclosed rental income, aiming to minimise penalties and secure a finalised position with HMRC.

Bespoke, Client-Centric Service

Every client receives a tailored service. We listen first, then evaluate your unique circumstances. Our approach is pragmatic and commercial, designed to address your immediate concerns, realise your long-term aspirations, and preserve your wealth. You get direct access to experienced, qualified advisers dedicated to your case.

Corporate Training Departments

Internal L&D teams can use Coursebricks to manage mandatory compliance training, professional development workshops, and onboarding programs for employees. They can schedule sessions across different departments, handle internal registrations and approvals, automate reminder emails to ensure attendance, and track completion with automatically issued certificates—all while maintaining a central record of training history for every employee.

Independent Training Consultants & Coaches

Solo entrepreneurs and small coaching businesses can leverage Coursebricks as their complete business operating system. They can create a professional website to host their course offerings, accept secure online payments without losing a percentage to fees, automate client onboarding and follow-up sequences, and manage all their leads and client communications from a single platform, allowing them to scale their services efficiently.

Professional Certification Bodies

Organizations that offer accredited certification programs can manage the entire candidate journey within Coursebricks. From initial course registration and payment processing to scheduling exam dates, distributing study materials, and issuing official digital certificates upon passing, the platform streamlines complex processes, reduces manual errors, and provides a secure, auditable trail for all candidate interactions and achievements.

Universities & Continuing Education Programs

Academic institutions running non-degree or continuing education courses can use Coursebricks to handle public-facing course catalogs, student registrations, and payments. The system simplifies managing multiple instructors and classroom venues, facilitates communication with a diverse student body through automated emails, and integrates with accounting software like Xero for streamlined financial reporting and reconciliation.

Facing a COP9 "Tax Fraud" Investigation

If you have received a COP9 letter, HMRC suspects serious fraud. This is a critical time. We step in immediately to manage the Contractual Disclosure Facility (CDF) process, providing the strategic advice and robust representation needed to navigate this high-stakes civil investigation and work towards a financial settlement, avoiding criminal prosecution.

Managing a Complex COP8 Enquiry

Code of Practice 8 investigations target complex tax avoidance or sophisticated technical issues. Our specialists analyse the intricate details of your arrangements, prepare detailed technical arguments, and liaise with HMRC's specialist units to defend your position and resolve the enquiry with clarity and certainty.

Making a Voluntary Disclosure

If you have undisclosed income, gains from offshore assets, crypto, or rental profits, we can help you come forward voluntarily. We manage the entire disclosure process under the correct facility (like WDF or LPC), ensuring it is complete, accurate, and presented in a way that mitigates penalties and brings finality.

Responding to an HMRC Compliance Check

Even a routine business enquiry can be stressful and time-consuming. We act on your behalf, handling all communication with HMRC, gathering the required information, and ensuring the check is concluded as smoothly and swiftly as possible, preventing it from escalating into a more serious investigation.

Coursebricks is an all-in-one training management software designed to liberate training providers, corporate trainers, and educational organizations from the chaos of administrative tasks. It brings every essential function—scheduling, registrations, payments, websites, CRM, and reporting—into a single, powerful, and intuitive system. The platform is built for anyone who designs and delivers learning experiences, whether they are running in-person classroom courses, live webinars, or a hybrid model. Its core value proposition is simplicity and control: by consolidating your entire operation, Coursebricks eliminates the need for juggling multiple disconnected tools like spreadsheets, payment processors, and email systems. This means you can publish courses directly to your professional website, accept payments without platform fees eating into your revenue, and automate time-consuming communications like confirmations, reminders, and certificates. Ultimately, Coursebricks gives you the flexibility to scale your offerings, the insights to grow your business, and the freedom to focus on what you do best—creating impactful training—instead of getting bogged down by manual admin.

Facing an HMRC investigation can feel overwhelming, intrusive, and incredibly stressful. Pure Tax Investigations (HMRC Defence) is your dedicated, independent specialist team that stands firmly between you and HMRC. We act as your robust buffer and expert advocate, fighting "tooth 'n' nail" to protect your interests. Led by Amit Puri, a former senior HMRC Tax Inspector with over 20 years of experience, our team understands the system from both sides. We provide business owners, entrepreneurs, private clients, and large corporations with clear, pragmatic, and discreet advice during tax disputes. Our core mission is to resolve your tax issues efficiently, provide certainty and peace of mind, and work towards the best possible commercial outcome, whether you're dealing with a routine compliance check or a serious fraud investigation. We specialise in navigating the complexities of HMRC procedures, allowing you to focus on running your life and business.

Do I need technical knowledge to use Coursebricks?

Not at all! Coursebricks is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive. You don't need any coding or web development skills to get started. The platform guides you through setup with easy-to-follow steps, and you can create a professional course website, set up payment processing, and automate communications using simple, point-and-click tools. If you do need help, comprehensive support resources are available.

Can I showcase my courses directly on my own website?

Absolutely. A core feature of Coursebricks is its seamless website integration. You can publish your course catalog, complete with descriptions, schedules, and pricing, directly onto a website. Coursebricks even provides a free, ready-to-use website that you can customize with your branding, or you can connect it to an existing custom domain or WordPress site, ensuring a cohesive brand experience for your learners.

Is my data secure?

Yes, data security is a top priority for Coursebricks. The platform employs robust security measures to protect your information and your customers' data. This includes secure data encryption, regular security audits, and compliance with industry-standard practices. You can review detailed information about their security protocols, data handling, and privacy policies on their website for complete peace of mind.

What integrations does Coursebricks support?

Coursebricks connects with key tools to fit into your existing workflow. It offers direct integrations with Stripe for payment processing, Xero for accounting and invoicing, and Zapier. The Zapier connection is particularly powerful, allowing you to automate tasks between Coursebricks and over 8,000 other apps, such as sending new leads to your CRM or adding registrants to your email marketing list, without any coding.

Is a COP9 tax fraud investigation serious?

Yes, a Code of Practice 9 (COP9) investigation is very serious. It is undertaken by HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service when they have a suspicion of serious tax fraud. The process is designed to secure a financial recovery (tax, interest, and penalties) on a civil basis. However, it operates under the shadow of potential criminal prosecution if the terms of the contractual disclosure are not followed correctly, which is why expert guidance is essential from the very start.

What is the difference between a tax investigation and a compliance check?

A compliance check is a routine review by HMRC to confirm your tax return is accurate and you are paying the right amount of tax. An investigation is more serious and invasive, often triggered by suspicions of significant errors, avoidance, or fraud. Investigations like COP8 or COP9 are far more in-depth, intrusive, and carry greater risks of substantial penalties.

Why should I use a specialist instead of my regular accountant?

While your accountant is vital for day-to-day affairs, tax investigations require specific expertise. Specialists like us have deep, current knowledge of HMRC's investigation tactics and procedures. We provide dedicated, robust defence strategies and act as an independent buffer, which can relieve immense pressure and often leads to a better, more commercial outcome.

What are the benefits of making a voluntary disclosure?

Making a voluntary disclosure to HMRC before they come to you has significant benefits. It demonstrates co-operation, which HMRC looks upon favourably. This typically results in substantially lower penalties compared to if HMRC discovers the undeclared tax themselves. It also allows you to regularise your affairs, gain peace of mind, and avoid the stress of a full investigation.