IN BRIEF

The Facebook-led Libra Association rethinks its plans for a digital currency, but taxing problems remain.

Digitalisation of tax will be key to recouping public spend, now expected to top £273bn, during the Covid-19 crisis, writes Andy Mills (Tax Systems). 

HMRC is pedalling lightly on some aspects of tax investigations during the current Covid-19 pandemic, but that does not mean that potential tax liabilities have been forgotten.

Details of the European Commission’s temporary arrangement. 

With the coronavirus spreading through Europe, the EU is looking to coordinate and support mitigating measures as much as possible. In some areas such as taxation, the European Commission’s lack of power competencies is evident. In the meantime, the impact of the crisis on non-coronavirus related tax developments remains to be seen.

Heather Self (Blick Rothenberg) considers the government's support for businesses announced to date and what might happen once the immediate crisis is over.

HMRC has updated its guidance to set out temporary changes to the stamping process. 

Tax measures new and old can help blunt the economic challenges arising from Covid-19 measures, particularly cashflow, write advisers at Markel Tax.

On 26 March 2020, the UK chancellor announced the new self-employed income support scheme to help the self-employed face the economic hardship wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic.