Search
HMRC targets enablers of tax evasion
HMRC and the OECD are looking to tackle the rise of the professional enabler of tax evasion, but what is an enabler? And what does that mean for professionals?
Read moreNavigating your career: In conversation with Jack Bonehill
In this episode, we are delighted to be joined by fellow tax podcast host Jack Bonehill, the man behind the fantastic Tax Professionals Podcast series.
Read moreThe Week That Was - 22 October 2021
Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the construction sector over the last seven days.
Read moreInvestigation and Disciplinary Action: Law and Practice in Hong Kong
Where an employer suspects its employee(s) has committed an act of misconduct, an employer should take reasonable steps to find out what has happened. The earlier an employer learns about the misconduct, the better. A proper investigation into the issue may give the employer a fighting chance of resolving it, addressing it and, even if it doesn't, might at least give the employer a defence to a future lawsuit.
Read moreHMRC Target Cryptocurrency Investors
HMRC has announced it will launch a new ‘nudge letter’ campaign that will target UK taxpayers who may have failed to pay tax due in respect of their cryptoassets.
Read moreSports Ticker (21 October 2021) - A women’s B&I Lions team, UKGC warning on Sorare, and the latest tech innovations
In a fortnight which has seen UEFA hand England a one-match Wembley Stadium ban for Euro 2020 final crowd trouble, Rory McIlroy dazzle at The CJ Cup and 18 EPL clubs vote to temporarily block certain related party transactions whilst considering future regulations on the issue, we feature the potential for a women's British and Irish Lions team, Google's new partnership with the NBA plus key developments at the interface of sports and technology.
Read moreAccess all areas? Privilege, the loss of confidentiality and a missed opportunity
Privilege is not necessarily lost when an opposing party has had access to that privileged material. The purpose and context of the access will lie at the heart of the court's decision in the event that a claim to privilege is disputed: ConocoPhillips Co v Chrysaor E&P Ltd [2021](1).
Read moreRPC Insurtech in brief - November 2021
Welcome to the November edition from RPC of Insurtech in brief, providing you with a handful of snappy monthly updates from the industry.
Read moreRPC Insurtech in brief - October 2021
Welcome to the October edition from RPC of Insurtech in brief, providing you with a handful of snappy monthly updates from the industry.
Read moreVermilion Holdings – Court of Session confirms that the grant of a share option by an employer was not an employment related securities option
In Vermilion Holdings Ltd v HMRC [2021] CSIH 45, the Court of Session overturned the decision of the Upper Tribunal (UT) and confirmed that an option granted by a company as part of a refinancing exercise was not an employment related securities option, for the purposes of section 471, Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (ITEPA).
Read moreWelcome to the age of the virtual influencer
Miquela de Sousa, aka Lil Miquela, is a 19-year old musician and model (having worked with the likes of Prada and Calvin Klein) and currently boasts an impressive 3 million Instagram followers. In 2018, The Times listed Lil Miquela as one of the 'Most Influential People on the Internet.' On the face of it, her profile reads like a dream for any brand looking to engage an influencer for marketing purposes. However, Lil Miquela is not actually real. Lil Miquela was one of the first of new online personalities that are completely controllable virtual influencers (complete with realistic characteristics features and personalities).
Read moreFOS proposals to clear the back-log - attractive or not?
The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has proposed a temporary approach to the classification of certain complaints in an attempt to alleviate their complaints backlog exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The approach could see firms looking to pro-actively resolve complaints before a defined cut off date before FOS reaches a decision so that the complaint is recorded separately and not as a "change in outcome" (i.e. where a complaint has been rejected by a business and upheld by FOS). The consultation was open for a short two-week period between 4 and 18 October 2021.
Read moreCarve-out deals: Preparation for separation
The value of UK carve-out deals is on the rise. Deal value increased by 182% to £30.8bn for the tax year 2020-21. Participants should be aware of the complex issues involved.
Read moreHo v Adelekun [2021]: Supreme Court decision on QOCS spells bad news for defendants and insurers
META DESCRIPTION Think Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Summarise your blog in 160 characters. Search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing use the meta description as the search results description for that page. A review of the Supreme Court decision of Ho v Adelekun and the impact on QOCS and costs recovery for defendants and insurers.
Read moreHigh Court refuses permission for unissued contempt application where breach of freezing order only technical
In Pharmagona Limited v Taheri,(1) the High Court refused to seal and issue a contempt application as the breach, if it had occurred, was only technical, and it was therefore inappropriate for the application to succeed.
Read moreFinancial Crime Time - Your update from RPC: 2021 Q3
Welcome to the latest edition of our round-up of news making the headlines in the world of financial crime and compliance. Our aim is to give you an easily digestible, bite-sized overview of issues that may affect your business.
Read moreTurning the ratchet - understanding anti-dilution rights in venture capital
In the third of a series of blogs aimed at demystifying common provisions found in venture capital term sheets (with the hope of accelerating the negotiation process between investors and founders), Peter Sugden looks at anti-dilution rights.
Read moreQuarterly Contentious Tax Review
The Tax Law Review Committee (TLRC) has published an in-depth review of the First-tier Tribunal (FTT), how it operates and why. In some respects, it is not working as well as it could for certain users. The review makes a number of positive recommendations, which we discuss below, together with two important developments concerning (1) the requirement for HMRC to initiate a formal enquiry and (2) HMRC's strategy on settling disputes relating to the use of historic tax avoidance arrangements.
Read moreRPC Bites 38 – Green Claims Code gets the green light, McDonald's announces new plant-based products and EU to UK import controls delayed until 2022
Welcome to RPC Bites. Our aim in the next 2 minutes is to provide you with a flavour of some key legal, regulatory and commercial developments in the Food & Drink sector over the last fortnight… with the occasional bit of industry gossip thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!!
Read moreSports Ticker (11 October 2021) - DAZN and BT Sport European Super League and new AJ deal
In a fortnight during which Tyson Fury retained his world title in an epic bout against Deontay Wilder, we feature Qatar joining the F1 circuit, AJ's new "career-long" deal with Matchroom, Excel Esports' exciting additions to its FIFA roster, and DAZN's potential bid for BT Sport.
Read moreThe Ads that can't be skipped
Product placement is an increasingly popular form of advertising in which goods are deliberately featured in a tv show, film etc. Whilst it used to be primarily confined to use in films such as Back to the Future (Nike), and ET (where Reese's Pieces were ET's favourite snack). Use of product placement is on the rise, and this summer Love Island was dubbed "the most commercialised show ever".
Read moreConstruction Contracts Part 1 – Who is party to the contract?
It may at first sight appear difficult to imagine a scenario where works are performed and paid for but it is not clear who the parties to the contract are. Common sense would suggest that is simply the person or company who performs the work and the person or company who pays for it. However, it is not always readily discernible who those parties are, for example because payment is being made by a person or company who is not obtaining the benefit of the works or because a different party appears to be giving directions under the contract.
Read moreTake 10 #18
Welcome to RPC's media and communications law update. This issue reports on key media developments and the latest cases.
Read moreThe Week That Was - 8th October 2021
Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the construction sector over the last seven days.
Read moreNavigating the hazards of Part 36 offers Part 2
In our first article we looked at problems associated with settlement offers made in multiparty actions and settlement offers where the intended consequence is unclear. In this article we look at some of the issues that can be caused by the litigation process itself and upon the way the offer is made.
Read moreInternational data transfers: time to update to the new standard contractual clauses
Retailers which rely upon standard contractual clauses for transferring personal data outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) will need to update their agreements to the new SCCs.
Read moreHigh Court reviews permission for expert reports and delay after general adjourned period
In Redland Precast Concrete Products (China) Ltd v AES Steel Mould (Hong Kong) Ltd1 the Court of Appeal emphasised that it is unlikely to interfere with the exercise of a first instance court’s case management discretion regarding directions for expert reports, unless an applicant can show that the lower court’s decision is plainly wrong. This presents a party seeking to challenge such directions with a high threshold to overcome in order to obtain permission to appeal. In this case, the applicant (the plaintiff) was unable to meet the threshold – therefore, its application for permission to appeal was refused by the court. Had the plaintiff acted more expeditiously, immediately after the general adjourned period (when the courts were generally closed between January and May 2020 because of the pandemic), things may have turned out differently.
Read moreHong Kong's Legislative Council to consider Cancellation of MPF Offsetting
Under the Employment Ordinance, employers can offset long service payment or severance payment due to an employee against the employer's mandatory and voluntary contributions to the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF), Hong Kong's pension system.
Read moreProfessional Game Match Officials - Court of Appeal sends football referees case back to the Tax Tribunal
In HMRC v Professional Game Match Officials Limited [2021] EWCA Civ 1370, the Court of Appeal (CoA) held that the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) and Upper Tribunal (UT) both erred in law in their approaches to the question of 'mutuality of obligation' and upheld the UT's decision that the FTT had erred in its approach to the issue of control. The case has been sent back to the FTT to reconsider whether there was sufficient mutuality of obligation and control in the individual contracts for them to be contracts of employment.
Read moreHow to create an insurer - the Inigo story (a podcast with Karen Graves)
Welcome to Insurance Covered. In this episode our guest is Karen Graves, Chief Operating Officer at Inigo Insurance and we will be discussing what goes into creating an insurer.
Read moreCMA publishes guidance on environmental claims – how can retailers avoid greenwashing?
Regulators are taking action in respect of ‘greenwashing’ to help protect consumers from misleading environmental claims. Following an investigation last year that found that 40% of green claims made online could be misleading, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published guidance to help businesses understand and comply with their consumer protection law obligations in order to avoid enforcement action. Based on six core ‘principles’, the guidance broadly restates the position under existing UK consumer law (particularly under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008) and includes examples of what compliance might look like in practice for green claims. Following a two-month consultation period, the CMA published its final guidance on 20 September 2021 and will expect businesses to comply by January 2022. The CMA has said there will be no ‘grace period’ come January 2022 – this is because they will be applying existing law and, strictly speaking, businesses should already be complying with this.
Read moreTooth and claw?: The meaning of words in tax assessments
The concept of 'staleness' in the context of discovery assessments (assessments issued to taxpayers by HMRC outside of any statutory enquiry), gathered momentum following the Upper Tribunal’s decision in Charlton and others v HMRC [2011] UKFTT 467 (TC). As 'discovery' is only relevant to returns and tax years where HMRC has not opened a statutory enquiry, many commentators considered that the concept provided a degree of procedural fairness in the discovery assessment process, and that HMRC should not be permitted to delay issuing an assessment for a considerable period of time after making a discovery. As recently as February of this year, Judge Malek in the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) in Mehrban v HMRC [2021] UKFTT 53 (TC), noted that it was an “absurdity” to say that the concept of staleness does not exist.
Read moreThe Week That Was - 1 October 2021
Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the construction sector over the last seven days.
Read moreThe Omnibus Directive – New EU consumer rights are on the way
The Omnibus Directive – new EU consumer rights are on the way ~ Anna Greco and Olly Bray of RPC consider aspects of the Directive of particular importance for retailers.
Read moreThe rise of ESG finance
ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) finance remains a hot topic and continues to grow rapidly, with Bloomberg predicting the $2.2 trillion ESG debt market to hit $11 trillion by 2025, based on the rate of growth during the past five years.
Read moreThe rise of ESG finance
ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) finance remains a hot topic and continues to grow rapidly, with Bloomberg predicting the $2.2 trillion ESG debt market to hit $11 trillion by 2025, based on the rate of growth during the past five years.
Read moreV@ Update – September 2021
Welcome to the September 2021 edition of RPC's V@, an update which provides analysis and news from the VAT world relevant to your business.
Read moreDNAe Group Holdings – Higher R&D relief claims available
In DNAe Group Holdings Ltd v HMRC [2021] TC/201804348, the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) held that 125% research and development (R&D) tax credits for an SME was available, despite the company being the strategic investment vehicle of a larger group.
Read moreNavigating the hazards of Part 36 offers Part I
Most claims seek money from other people. Although such claims might be for money owed for goods and services, or compensation for loss caused by breach of contract, or compensation for injury or damage to property or for defamation, the fundamental point of the claim is that the Claimant wants to be paid, and will agree to settle if sufficient money is offered.
Read moreWhat if the CEO asks me... about ESG-linked financing facilities
As focus moves from short term lockdown liquidity on to longer term financing needs, loan facilities linked to ESG and sustainability targets are back in the news.
Read moreWhat if the CEO asks me... about ESG-linked financing facilities
As focus moves from short term lockdown liquidity on to longer term financing needs, loan facilities linked to ESG and sustainability targets are back in the news.
Read moreHMRC issues 'nudge' letters to non-doms for suspected unpaid tax
HMRC is targeting wealthy UK tax residents claiming a non-UK domicile who may not have paid the remittance basis charge. HMRC has issued hundreds of 'nudge' letters to taxpayers encouraging them to reconsider their tax position.
Read moreBalance on the board: Eight things UK PLCs need to know about the FCA's diversity targets
The Financial Conduct Authority's proposals will mean UK listed companies need to disclose whether their boards and senior management teams meet new gender and ethnic diversity targets.
Read moreBalance on the board: Eight things UK PLCs need to know about the FCA's diversity targets
The Financial Conduct Authority's proposals will mean UK listed companies need to disclose whether their boards and senior management teams meet new gender and ethnic diversity targets.
Read moreConnecting the dots
In a world of increasing digitisation, globalisation and remote working, now more than ever taxpayers are starting to ask "how are HMRC going to find out?".
Read moreSports Ticker (24 September 2021) - RFU appoints Ilube as new chairman, ECB's new kit sponsorship deal and NFTs meet fantasy
Welcome to the latest edition of the RPC Sports Ticker - providing fortnightly bite-size updates from around the sports industry.
Read moreThe Week That Was - 24 September 2021
Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the construction sector over the last seven days.
Read moreHong Kong Employee Focus: Things to consider before handing in your notice
Before you hand over your notice of resignation, it is important take a moment to plan ahead and think through the legal and practical considerations of your decision.
Read moreSecurity for costs – through what lens is the enforcement criteria viewed?
Political obstacles can trump legal obstacles when court is considering enforcement in security for costs applications Haque v Hussain(i)
Read moreExceptional Circumstances: CPR 52.30 and a lesson on drafting grounds of appeal from the Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal has given guidance on how to draft grounds of appeal in a rap over the knuckles for lawyers responsible for "over-lengthy and ill-focused" grounds (Municipio de Mariana v (1) BHP Group PLC and (2) BHP Group Ltd(i)).
Read more