Tax Take
OWD – HMRC unable to permit temporary trading pending appeal
In OWD Ltd trading as Birmingham Cash and Carry (in Liquidation) and Anor v HMRC [2019] UKSC 30, the Supreme Court has held that HMRC does not have power under section 88C, Alcohol Duties Liquor Act 1979 (ALDA) or section 9, Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 (CRCA), to permit temporary trading pending the determination of an appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) against HMRC's refusal to grant approval under the Alcohol Wholesalers Registration Scheme (AWRS).
Read moreHaworth – Court of Appeal confirms HMRC misdirected itself and quashes payment notices
The recent unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal in R (on the application of Haworth) v HMRC [2019] EWCA Civ 747, is the first successful judicial review challenge against follower and accelerated payment notices. The decision throws into question the way in which the relevant statutory provisions, contained in Finance Act 2014 (FA 2014), relating to follower and accelerated payment notices have been interpreted and operated by HMRC and as a consequence, many other notices may also have been issued by HMRC unlawfully.
Read moreTax update - July 2019
In this month’s update we report on HMRC’s updated guidance on the meaning of “ordinary share capital”, the Law Society’s response to HMRC’s off-payroll working rules consultation and changes to the principal private residence ancillary reliefs.
Read moreRitchie - FTT guilty of procedural unfairness
In Ritchie v HMRC [2019] UKUT 007 (TCC), the Upper Tribunal (UT) has held that the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) had erred in finding that a loss of tax had been brought about by carelessness on the part of the taxpayers' professional advisers because, amongst other things, the carelessness of the advisers had not been adequately pleaded by HMRC and had not been put to any of the witnesses in cross-examination.
Read moreVAT update June 2019
In this month’s update we report on (1) amendments to the reduced VAT rate for energy-saving materials; (2) HMRC’s guidance on the VAT reverse charge on construction services; and (3) HMRC’s updated VAT Notice 700/1 – who should register for VAT.
Read moreDerry - HMRC challenge to share loss relief claim flawed
In R (on the application of Derry) v HMRC [2019] UKSC 19, the Supreme Court has dismissed HMRC's appeal and confirmed that the taxpayer was entitled to claim share loss relief in the year in which the loss was incurred, rather than the following year.
Read moreNational Car Parks - Are overpayments consideration for VAT purposes?
In National Car Parks Ltd v HMRC [2019] EWCA Civ 854, the Court of Appeal has confirmed that excess amounts paid by customers at pay and display car parks were consideration for VAT purposes.
Read moreTax update - June 2019
In this month’s update we report on HMRC’s guidance in relation to off-payroll working in the public sector and the intermediaries legislation (so-called IR35), the extension of late payment and repayment interest to penalties levied under the DOTAS, promoters, and enablers of tax avoidance, regimes; and HMRC’s guidance on the economic interest requirement for shareholders who wish to claim entrepreneurs’ relief.
Read moreTooth – Court of Appeal confirms discovery assessment was invalid
In HMRC v Tooth [2019] EWCA Civ 826, the Court of Appeal has held that a discovery assessment was invalid, but the taxpayer's inaccuracy in his return was deliberate.
Read moreCorporate tax update May 2019
Welcome to the latest edition of our Corporate Tax Update, written by members of RPC’s tax team.
Read moreHannover - SDLT avoidance and corporate property deals – the importance of timing!
In Hannover v HMRC [2019] UKFTT 0262 (TC), the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) has held that the stamp duty land tax (SDLT) anti-avoidance rule in section 75A, Finance Act 2003, applied to a series of transactions that included the sale of units in a Guernsey property unit trust (GPUT), even though there was no tax avoidance motive and each transaction was 'appropriately' taxed.
Read moreVAT update May 2019
In this month’s update we report on (1) HMRC guidance on the correct treatment for the deduction of import VAT by non-owners of goods; (2) Regulations which introduce a VAT reverse charge on specified construction services; and (3) refunds of VAT in the UK for non-EU businesses.
Read moreCustoms and excise quarterly update: May 2019
In this update we report on (1) changes to customs authorisations following a no-deal Brexit; (2) making declarations using traditional simplified procedures; and (3) the Pubs Code Adjudicator’s guidance on accounting for duty paid on alcohol and volumes of unsaleable draught products.
Read moreQ Ltd – interim injunction continued pending appeal
In Q Ltd v HMRC [2019] EWHC 712 (QB), in considering the balance of risk, the High Court continued an interim injunction pending the outcome of the taxpayer's appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (FTT).
Read moreHMRC's unreasonable conduct leads to costs award against it
In E v HMRC [2018] UKFTT 771 (TC), the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) has found that HMRC acted unreasonably in not withdrawing an information notice earlier than it did and awarded the taxpayer his costs.
Read moreAtherton – discovery assessment not stale and taxpayer was careless
In Richard Atherton v HMRC [2019] UKUT 0041 (TCC) the Upper Tribunal (UT) has held that a discovery had not become stale by the time an assessment was issued under section 20, Taxes Management Act 1970 (TMA) and that the taxpayer had been careless in making an inadequate 'white space' disclosure in his self-assessment return.
Read moreTax update - May 2019
In this month’s update we report on HMRC’s consultation on private residence relief, HMRC’s revised guidance on agreeing the value of shares with HMRC Shares and Assets Valuation when operating an EMI or SIP and HMRC’s guidance on calculating tax and NICs due on the loan charge.
Read moreHargreaves: Even staler!
In Hargreaves v HMRC [2019] UKFTT 0244 (TC), the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) has again found that HMRC's discovery of an underpayment of tax had become 'stale' and accordingly the subsequent assessment issued under section 29, Taxes Management Act 1970 (TMA) was invalid.
Read moreVAT update April 2019
In this month’s update we report on (1) HMRC’s updated guidance on intra-group VAT reverse charge; (2) draft regulations which will tighten the rules on when VAT adjustments may be made following a change to the price of goods and services; and (3) HMRC’s updated policy paper which provides an overview of Making Tax Digital for VAT.
Read moreSnow Factor – Upper Tribunal determines the meaning of "financial extremity"
In Snow Factor Ltd v HMRC [2019] UKUT 77 (TCC), the Upper Tribunal (UT) has determined the meaning of the phrase "financial extremity might be reasonably expected to result from that decision of HMRC" in section 85(B), Value Added Tax Act 1994 (VATA).
Read moreMacleod – insurance premiums paid not earnings from taxpayer's employment
In Macleod and Mitchell Contractors Limited and William Mitchell v HMRC [2019] UKUT 0046 (TCC), the Upper Tribunal (UT) has held that insurance premiums paid by the company on policies taken out in the sole director's name were not earnings from employment.
Read moreTang - Bare trust existed notwithstanding lack of trust document
In Lily Tang v HMRC [2019] UKFTT 81, the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) held that there was a bare trust despite the absence of a trust document and that the bare trustee was not liable to notify HMRC or for tax in relation to funds she held on trust.
Read moreIs it now inevitable corporates will face new “failure to prevent economic crime” offences?
Back in September 2014, the then Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC MP announced that the Government was considering proposals to create a new corporate offence of failing to prevent economic crime. A change of corporate culture was sighted as being necessary to fully address the scale of fraud reported by the Global Economic Crime Survey.
Read moreAlbatel - TV presenter wins £1.2m tax case
In Albatel Ltd v HMRC [2019] UKFTT 0195 (TC), the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) held that the so-called IR35 legislation did not apply to the provision of services by Lorraine Kelly to ITV.
Read moreGardner Shaw – directions subject to a pending appeal should not have been varied
In Gardner Shaw UK Ltd and others v HMRC [2018] UKUT 419 (TCC), the Upper Tribunal (UT) has held that the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) should not have varied directions which the FTT had previously issued, when they had been the subject of an unsuccessful appeal to the UT and when an appeal to the Court of Appeal was pending.
Read moreTax update - April 2019
In this month’s update we report on (1) HMRC’s guidance on self-reporting failure to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion; (2) HMRC’s consultation on secondary preferential creditor status on insolvency of a business; and (3) a Parliamentary Select Committee’s call for a public register of beneficial ownership in each British Overseas Territory. We also comment on three recent cases relating to (1) the concept of “staleness” in discovery assessment appeals; (2) a failed DOTAS application brought by HMRC; and (3) the extra-territorial reach of HMRC information notices.
Read moreVAT update March 2019
In this month’s update we report on (1) HMRC’s updated guidance on claiming exemption from Making Tax Digital for VAT; (2) the latest edition of HMRC’s impact assessment for the movement of goods if the UK leaves the EU without a deal; and (3) HMRC’s policy change on VAT treatment of personal contract purchases.
Read morePraesto - input tax recoverable on fees incurred in defending proceedings against its director
In Praesto Consulting UK Ltd v HMRC [2019] EWCA Civ 353, the Court of Appeal has held that a company was entitled to recover input tax on legal fees it incurred in defending civil proceedings brought against its director.
Read moreNew corporate criminal offence: Failure to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion
The Criminal Finances Act 2017, which received Royal Assent on 27 April 2017, introduces new strict liability corporate criminal offences of failure to prevent criminal facilitation of tax evasion. The legislation came into force on 30 September 2017.
Read moreTime to abandon 'fairness'?
In recent years the word 'fair' has become a common feature of HMRC's lexicon. It is often connected with claims by HMRC that a taxpayer is not paying his or her "fair share of tax". It is disseminated with predictable regularity across HMRC press releases, guidance notes and spokesperson's quotes.
Read moreWhen does delay by HMRC render a discovery assessment invalid?
In the recent case of Clive Beagles v HMRC [2018] UKUT 380 (TCC), the Upper Tribunal (UT) held that a delay of nearly two and a half years between (i) HMRC discovering that a taxpayer's self-assessment tax return was insufficient and (ii) HMRC issuing an assessment, was too long. As the discovery had become 'stale' by the time of the assessment, the assessment was invalid.
Read moreCurzon – contractor loan scheme notifiable under DOTAS but scheme administrator not a 'promoter'
In HMRC v Curzon Capital Ltd [2019] UKFTT 0063 (TC), the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) has held that a contractor loan scheme was a notifiable arrangement for the purposes of the disclosure of tax avoidance arrangements (DOTAS) regime, but that the scheme administrator was not a promoter. Accordingly, HMRC's application for an order that the arrangements were notifiable was dismissed.
Read moreTax update - March 2019
In this month’s update we report on (1) clarification from HMRC on time limits for discovery assessments into tax returns where the loss of tax is due to avoidance; (2) HMRC’s updated guidance for settling disguised remuneration schemes; and (3) confirmation in Spotlight 48 that taxpayers who have taken out disguised remuneration loans do not need to obtain a deed of release or exclusion of the loan from the lender before HMRC will agree a settlement.
Read moreVAT Update - February 2019
In this month’s update we report on (1) changes to the VAT IT system rules and processes if the UK leaves the EU without a deal; (2) EU exit legislation; and (3) revisions to HMRC’s Notice of Making Tax Digital for VAT.
Read moreJimenez - Court of Appeal confirms extra-territorial reach of information notices
In R (oao Jimenez) v HMRC [2019] EWCA Civ 51, the Court of Appeal has held that HMRC can issue an information notice to a taxpayer under paragraph 1, Schedule 36, Finance Act 2008 (FA 2008), even if he is non-resident.
Read moreCustoms and excise quarterly update: February 2019
In this update we report on the effect of a no deal Brexit in relation to (1) customs processes and procedures; (2) binding tariff information; and (3) changes to tax procedures. We also comment on three recent cases relating to (1) obtaining an injunction when HMRC revoke Authorised Warehousekeeper status; (2) the application of retrospective inward processing authorisation periods; and (3) the seizure of vehicles.
Read moreHegarty – HMRC information notices invalid
In Hegarty v HMRC [2018] UKFTT 0774 (TC), the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) has held that HMRC issued invalid information notices under paragraph 1, Schedule 36, Finance Act 2008 (FA 2008), as it did not provide any evidence to support its suspicion that the taxpayers had paid insufficient tax.
Read moreCorporate tax update Fourth quarter 2018
Welcome to the latest edition of our Corporate Tax Update, written by members of RPC’s tax team and published quarterly. In this final 2018 edition we highlight some of the key tax developments of interest to UK corporates from the fourth quarter of 2018.
Read moreHMRC launches profit diversion compliance facility
On 10 January 2019, HMRC launched their Profit Diversion Compliance Facility (PDCF). The PDCF is a new voluntary disclosure facility, aimed at multinational enterprises (MNEs), that provides them with an opportunity to disclose and correct tax inaccuracies relating to profits diverted out of the UK.
Read moreHymanson – HMRC's decision to revoke the taxpayer's fixed protection was unreasonable
In G Hymanson v HMRC [2018] UKFTT 667, the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) has held that HMRC’s decision to revoke the taxpayer's fixed protection was unreasonable and directed that it be reinstated. In so finding, the FTT applied the equitable maxim ‘that which should be done should be treated as having been done’.
Read moreTax update - February 2019
In this month’s update we report on (1) an Economic Affairs Committee report on treating taxpayers fairly; (2) HMRC’s extension of the deadline for responses to its consultation on the taxation of trusts; and (3) the Law Society’s practice note on the offence of failure to prevent the criminal facilitation of tax evasion. We also comment on three recent decisions relating to (1) the principles governing disclosure in the context of tax appeals;(2) business property relief under the Inheritance Tax Act 1984; and (3) the closure of an HMRC enquiry which was “drifting aimlessly”.
Read moreWilsons – HMRC unable to obtain law firm's records
In Wilsons Solicitors LLP v HMRC [2018] UKFTT 627 (TC), the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) has held that the obligation to keep records under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 (MLR) does not make a law firm a relevant data-holder for the purposes of HMRC's data-gathering powers.
Read moreVAT update - January 2019
In this month’s update we report on (1) refunds of VAT in the UK for non-EU businesses; (2) changes to the VAT treatment of retained payments; and (3) revised HMRC guidance on when and how to account for VAT when you transfer a business as a going concern. We also comment on three recent cases involving (1) irrecoverable output tax; (2) the deductibility of a repayment supplement from an interest award; and (3) whether a taxpayer had a legitimate expectation that HMRC guidance could be relied upon.
Read moreOmagh: tax penalty was a "criminal charge" for the purposes of Article 6 of the ECHR
In Omagh Minerals Ltd v HMRC [2018] UKFTT 697 (TC), the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) has held that despite the civil nature of the underlying tax dispute, an aggregates levy penalty imposed on the taxpayer by HMRC was a "criminal charge" to which Article 6 (right to a fair trial), European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), applied.
Read moreBanks: A real Brexit tax
In A Banks v HMRC [2018] UKFTT 617, the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) heard an appeal by Mr Arron Banks against HMRC's decision to deny him relief on certain donations he and his companies had made to the UK Independence Party (UKIP). The FTT decided that his rights had been infringed under the European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention) but there was nothing it could do to remedy that infringement.
Read moreGraham: taxpayer successfully appeals against APN penalty
In Kevin Graham v HMRC [2018] UKFTT 661 (TC), the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) allowed the taxpayer's appeal against a penalty imposed by HMRC for non-payment of an accelerated payment notice (APN).
Read moreAddo - Disclosure against HMRC in tax appeals
In Addo v HMRC [2018] UKFTT 530 (TC), the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) considered the principles governing disclosure in the context of appeals before the FTT. This blog is based on an article which was first published in Tax Journal on 22 November 2018. RPC acted for the taxpayer in this case.
Read moreVacation Rentals – taxpayer had legitimate expectation that HMRC guidance could be relied on
In R (on the application of Vacation Rentals (UK) Ltd) (formerly The Hoseasons Group Ltd) v HMRC [2018] UKUT 383 (TCC), the Upper Tribunal (UT), has held that HMRC was bound by its published guidance in Business Brief 18/06 (BB18/06) concerning the treatment of payments for card handling services.
Read moreTax update December 2018
In this month’s update we report on (1) the published response to the consultation on creating a “fund structure” within the Enterprise Investment Scheme for investment in innovative knowledge-intensive companies; (2) the published response to the consultation on extending the IR35 rules to the private sector; and (3) the published response to HMRC’s tax abuse and insolvency discussion document. We also comment on three recent decisions relating to (1) penalties attaching to employment intermediaries returns (2); penalties for failing to file tax returns; and (3) CGT holdover relief where the transferor was a foreign controller of the transferee.
Read moreLivery business qualifies for BPR for IHT purposes
In HMRC v Personal Representatives of the Estate of Maureen M Vigne [2018] UKUT 357 (TCC), the Upper Tribunal (UT), in dismissing HMRC's appeal, has confirmed that a livery business attracted business property relief (BPR) under section 105, Inheritance Tax Act 1984 (IHTA), as the business did not consist of wholly or mainly in making or holding investments.
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