If the tax office contacts you

Contact from the tax office ranges from a simple query about how something was entered to a request for detailed substantiation. Take it calmly and establish precisely what is being asked and for which year. Pausing to understand the question beats answering vaguely in a hurry, and usually resolves things faster. Note down at the time which office and person contacted you, what they asked, and whether there is a date to respond by.

Then organise your records: the copy of that year's return, the calculation report, the transaction history, and your notes on method and price sources. Having these already grouped by year is where that habit pays off. Pull out the parts that relate to the question and arrange them so the story runs in date order.

The posture for answering is: state the facts, based on the records, accurately. Filling gaps with guesses means corrections later and a longer conversation. It is entirely acceptable to say you will confirm something and come back. Where history was missing and you estimated by a reasonable method, be ready to explain that method and its basis — this is exactly why keeping that record matters.

Where the question touches a judgement issue, spans several years, or involves significant amounts, engage a tax accountant early. A tax accountant can represent or accompany a taxpayer in these situations. That is calmer and more accurate than handling it alone and risking an imprecise explanation or a conversation that widens unnecessarily. It costs money, but in this situation it is money well spent.

This site does not deal in ways to avoid an inquiry or sidestep an explanation; going in that direction damages your own position. Explain the facts from the records, check what you do not know, and bring in a professional where it helps. Those three are the most reliable response available.