According to the Financial Times (19 September): ‘After months of championing the global crackdown on tax avoidance by multinationals the UK government is facing mounting scrutiny at home and abroad over its own aggressive approach to tax competitiveness.’ The newspaper says that recent controversies including David Heaton’s resignation from the GAAR advisory panel have drawn attention to the tension – ‘critics say double-standards’ – between the government’s push to tackle international tax avoidance on the one hand and on the other its desire to make the UK tax regime increasingly attractive to investors. The newspaper quoted CBI director general John Cridland as saying business leaders were confused by the mixed message from UK politicians. ‘That confusion of purpose – are we making the UK more tax competitive [or] are we sending signals that somehow big business can’t be trusted? – that needs reconciling’ ...
