by web@dmin
16 September 2026 
What If You Do Not Have All the Records for Your Tax Disclosure?
Realising that you have not declared some income to HMRC can be worrying enough. Finding that you no longer have every bank statement, invoice or receipt can make the situation feel even harder.
But missing records do not necessarily mean you cannot make a tax disclosure.
At Wingate Accountants Ltd, we often see how quickly people become overwhelmed when they try to piece together old financial information. The important thing is not to ignore the problem simply because some paperwork is missing. If you need tax disclosure services in London, there are practical ways to deal with incomplete records.
Can you make a disclosure without every record?
Yes. HMRC’s current guidance says that if business records are incomplete, you should estimate the undisclosed income and gains and use those figures in your disclosure. You should keep the calculations showing how you arrived at them.
What should you do if bank statements are missing?
Bank statements can be particularly useful when working out previously undeclared income and expenditure. If you no longer have them, HMRC recommends contacting your bank to request copies.
If copies are unavailable, you may need to use other information to work out your income. HMRC says more recent bank statements can sometimes be used as a guide to income and expenditure.
Other records may help too, including:
- Invoices and receipts you still have
- Accounting or bookkeeping records
- Information from customers or suppliers
- Previous tax returns
- Other financial records that help establish what you earned and spent
Keep your calculations
If you have had to estimate figures, keep a record of how you worked them out. HMRC may ask you to explain the basis of your estimates.
You should not treat an estimate as an opportunity to understate what you owe. The figures should be based on the evidence available and explained clearly. Where possible, compare different sources of information so that the final calculation is reliable.
HMRC says that businesses should start keeping appropriate records immediately if they have not done so.
Should you wait until you find everything?
We would not recommend putting the issue aside indefinitely while searching for paperwork that may no longer exist. HMRC’s April 2026 guidance says taxpayers should start gathering information and records as early as possible. If something is genuinely unavailable, an estimate may be possible.
Getting professional advice can be particularly useful when records are incomplete because the figures in a disclosure need to be carefully worked out. A disclosure that is largely wrong or incomplete may not be accepted by HMRC.
At Wingate Accountants Ltd, we can help you review the information you do have, work through reasonable estimates and prepare your disclosure properly. Whether you need tax disclosure services in Manchester or elsewhere in the UK, speak to us before submitting anything to HMRC.
Contact Wingate Accountants Ltd today to discuss your situation and find out how we can help you make an accurate and properly supported tax disclosure.
