Navigating SDLT Compliance: InfoTrack's New Questionnaire, Tax Assessment and Estimate
HMRC has made its position clear: if you are paid to submit SDLT returns or otherwise interact with HMRC on behalf of clients, you are required to register as a tax adviser. HMRC's official fact sheet confirms that conveyancers are explicitly in scope, and that outsourcing part of the process doesn't remove that obligation. Registration opened on 18 May 2026, with a three-month window to comply. If your firm already holds an Agent Services Account, you don't need to re-register, but if you only have an SDLT online filing account, you do.
The publication of HMRC's long-awaited Mandatory Tax Adviser Registration (MTAR) internal manual on 1 June 2026 has brought further clarity on scope, conditions, and transitional arrangements, and signals that the regulatory framework around SDLT advice is tightening significantly. For conveyancing firms, this makes early, consistent and audit-ready SDLT data collection more critical than ever.
In a live webinar on 3 June, David Rawson, Head of Product for eCOS at InfoTrack, walked attendees through a new suite of SDLT tools built directly into the eCOS platform, designed to meet exactly this challenge.
What's New in eCOS
InfoTrack has enhanced the purchase workspace within eCOS with two key additions: a new SDLT questionnaire and an integrated SDLT tax assessment and estimate.
Previously, SDLT-related questions were embedded within the standard purchaser questionnaire. The new approach splits these into two distinct forms:
- Purchaser Questionnaire (updated) retains property-specific SDLT questions covering purchase price, fixtures and fittings, mixed use, and connected transactions. This is jointly signed by all buyers via electronic signature.
- Per-party SDLT Questionnaire (new) captures each individual buyer's personal circumstances relevant to SDLT, including marital status, residency (the 183-day rule), overseas Crown employment, ownership of other properties globally valued at £40,000 or more, first-time buyer status, and intention to use the property as a main home.
The questions were developed in consultation with SDLT specialists, including input from Compass, to ensure they are robust, rigorous, and accurate.
The SDLT Assessment Report
Once all parties have signed both forms, eCOS automatically generates a single SDLT Assessment document. This report does three things:
- Complexity overview flags any factors that could make the matter more complex, such as residency questions, separation or divorce, or ownership of additional property.
- SDLT estimate feeds the collected data directly into InfoTrack's existing SDLT calculator to provide an initial tax estimate based on the information provided.
- Full question summary lists every SDLT-related question and answer in one place, giving you a clear, complete audit trail on the file.
The report regenerates automatically whenever a form is unlocked and re-signed, for example if a client initially answers "I'm not sure" and later clarifies their position following a conversation with their conveyancer. Conveyancers can also view the client's form in real time and walk through it with them directly if needed.
Built for Compliance and Audit Readiness
Given the new regulatory environment, the SDLT questionnaire has been specifically designed to give firms a defensible position. Clients sign via a two-factor authenticated electronic signature, with a certificate confirming the device, IP address, and date of signing. The form explicitly states that answers are being relied upon and that inaccuracies could result in additional tax liability, reinforcing the seriousness of the submission.
Once signed, the form is locked. Only the conveyancer can unlock it for amendment, meaning the firm retains full control over the document's lifecycle. Every version of the assessment is retained on the file, so you can demonstrate exactly how the matter was assessed, what was flagged, and what steps were taken. This is exactly the kind of audit trail that HMRC's new registration regime demands.
Seamless Workflow, No Extra Cost
The SDLT questionnaire is a subsidiary of the purchaser questionnaire and is automatically selected when a purchase is ordered, with no additional clicks required. It can also be applied to transfer of equity workspaces. The SDLT assessment generates without any manual intervention.
This is included within the existing flat fee of the purchase workspace. There is no additional cost.
What's Coming Next
The current tools are focused on residential property transactions. InfoTrack has confirmed that commercial SDLT and lease extensions are on the roadmap.
InfoTrack has also announced a partnership with Compass, with more to come from that collaboration. Watch this space for a further webinar.
Book a demo today: https://marketing.infotrack.co.uk/schedule
Useful links:
InfoTrack's new SDLT tools are designed to take the complexity out of early-stage SDLT triage, giving conveyancers the information they need in a consistent, compliant and audit-ready format from the very first client interaction.
InfoTrack
