Cornerstone Tax

What Cornerstone Tax does

Cornerstone Tax, operating as LWC Consulting Ltd (DBA: LWC Cornerstone), is a UK-based specialist property tax advisory firm founded in 2006 and headquartered in Leicester. The firm concentrates almost exclusively on Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), providing bespoke advisory services covering transaction review, relief identification (Multiple Dwellings Relief, mixed-use classification, pension scheme transfers, uninhabitable property surcharges), and HMRC refund claims. Its core proposition is technical SDLT expertise rather than general tax or accounting services, with reported outcomes including over £30 million in recovered overpaid stamp duty over three years and a 95% success rate in claims against solicitors for SDLT errors. The firm operates as a professional services consultancy without a proprietary software product, monetising through fee-based advisory engagements and contingent or fixed-fee refund claim work.

The firm serves four primary customer segments: homeowners, property investors (from individual landlords to portfolio operators), property developers, and property professionals (solicitors, accountants, financial advisers). Distribution is sales-led and direct, anchored by a free no-obligation initial consultation via phone and email, supplemented by a professional partner network and a substantial thought-leadership and content marketing engine — including the SDLT.TV YouTube channel, a dedicated blog, active social media presence (X, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook), and recurring national press features (Financial Times, Forbes, Express, Evening Standard). Leadership comprises founder and Director Julie White (Associate Chartered Accountant with four decades of tax experience spanning KPMG, Arthur Andersen, Cooper Parry, and RSM Tenon), Group Chairman David Hannah, and Finance Director Mark Hancock. A sub-brand, SDLT Refunds, operates a separate claims-processing site, and the firm's reported tribunal wins against HMRC form part of its public positioning as the UK's leading SDLT specialist.

Name

Cornerstone Tax

Legal name

LWC Consulting Ltd

Website

https://ctatax.uk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cornerstone Tax is a UK specialist property tax advisory firm founded in 2006, focused exclusively on Stamp Duty Land Tax advisory and refund claims, serving homeowners, investors, developers, and property professionals across England and Northern Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Property Tax Advisory

NAICS

Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (5412)

akta.pro primary industry

Tax Advisory & Compliance (BPAHABAB)

Keywords

• Property tax advisory
• Stamp duty services
• SDLT consultancy
• Property tax planning
• Tax refund claims

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. SDLT Advisory Services: Professional consultancy services for property tax matters, including transaction reviews, refund claims, and ongoing tax planning advice for property owners, investors, developers, and professionals

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cornerstone Tax provides bespoke UK property tax advisory services centred on Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). The firm reviews both upcoming and historic property transactions to ensure correct tax is paid and to identify potential savings or refunds from HMRC. Services span relief identification (Multiple Dwellings Relief, mixed-use classification, uninhabitable property exemptions, pension scheme transfers) and representation in HMRC tribunals.

Product overview

Cornerstone Tax is a specialist property tax advisory firm (trading as LWC Cornerstone) offering bespoke SDLT (Stamp Duty Land Tax) advisory and refund recovery services. The core offering centers on Stamp Duty Land Tax expertise since 2006, with services spanning transaction review, relief identification (including Multiple Dwellings Relief, mixed-use relief, and uninhabitable property exemptions), and HMRC refund claims. The firm serves homeowners, investors, developers, and property professionals through a combination of advisory services and their SDLT.TV educational content platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SDLT Refunds: A division of Cornerstone Tax specializing in Stamp Duty Land Tax refund claims from HMRC

Products and services

• Property Tax Advisory Services Bespoke property tax advisory services specialising in Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), including review of upcoming and historic property transactions to ensure correct tax is paid and identify potential savings or refunds. Targeted at homeowners, property investors, developers, and property professionals in the UK.
• Multiple Dwellings Relief (MDR) Advisory Specialist advice on Multiple Dwellings Relief (also known as Granny Annex Relief) for buyers of multiple residential units in single transactions, calculating SDLT using average property values to reduce tax liability, including annexes and granny flats.
• SDLT Refund Recovery Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Reclaimed over £15 million in overpaid SDLT in the last 12 months
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RIFT Tax Refunds: UK tax refund claims company specialising in recovering overpaid tax from HMRC. Operates a similar refund-led, contingency-style professional services model targeting property owners and businesses, and is a direct competitor for SDLT and other property-related refund mandates.
• Catax: UK tax relief specialist focused on capital allowances and R&D claims, with a similar boutique-firm, refund-driven business model. Direct peer in the UK tax advisory/refund niche with comparable client acquisition approach and target customer base of property owners and investors.

Broad incumbents

• Mazars UK: International accountancy firm with a UK property tax practice advising on SDLT, VAT and broader property structuring. Comparable as a broader incumbent with overlapping SDLT advisory capabilities delivered alongside a wider tax and advisory portfolio.
• Blick Rothenberg: UK chartered accountancy and tax advisory firm offering a property tax practice alongside broader private client and corporate services. Comparable as a UK-headquartered tax advisory offering SDLT expertise within a broader portfolio rather than as a pure-play specialist.
• Moore Kingston Smith: UK chartered accountancy firm with a private client and property tax practice serving high-net-worth individuals, investors and SMEs. Comparable as a UK-based professional services firm providing SDLT advisory within a broader tax and advisory offering.
• Smith Cooper: UK mid-tier accountancy and advisory firm with a property tax offering for individuals, investors and developers. Comparable as a UK-headquartered professional services firm of similar size to Cornerstone that includes SDLT advisory within a broader portfolio.
• PwC UK: Big Four firm with a UK property tax team advising on SDLT, structuring and reliefs for investors, developers and corporates. Comparable as a broader incumbent covering Cornerstone's niche within a wider tax and advisory practice.
• KPMG UK: Big Four firm with a substantial UK property tax practice serving high-net-worth individuals, investors and developers. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering SDLT and wider property tax advisory as part of a much larger portfolio to enterprise and large-individual clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cornerstone_tax
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CornerstoneTax
• Facebookfacebook.com/propertytaxproperlydone
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornerstone-tax-advisors
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornerstone_tax
• TikToktiktok.com/@cornerstone_tax

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cornerstone Tax