Five bodies representing freelancers and small businesses on HMRC’s IR35 Forum claim that new guidance on rules to counter tax avoidance via personal service companies ‘fails to take into account key elements in their advice’, according to PCG (formerly the Professional Contractors Group).
Helen Lethaby provides your regular briefing, which this month includes the decision in Eclipse, developments concerning the proposed financial transactions tax, and the informal consultation on lease premium rules.
Paula Tallon answers a question on corporate partners and loans made to companies.
Roopa Aitken and Hannah Tilson consider the implications of the Advocate General's opinion in the Philips case.
‘India will delay the introduction of wide-ranging proposed tax avoidance laws by one year, in a move designed to placate international investors worried over increasingly erratic legal changes.
Tax professionals have welcomed new HMRC guidance on the application of the Senior Accounting Officer legislation but have drawn attention to ‘significant changes’ in HMRC’s position, including the end of the ‘light touch’ approach.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has warned that ‘massive’ offshore tax evasion and avoidance cause ‘serious harm to the public interest’ in Europe and elsewhere, and particularly in developing countries.
Country by country reporting of profits and taxes paid is ‘essential’ for detecting corporate tax avoidance, according to MEPs who adopted by 538 votes to 73 a resolution on ‘concrete ways to combat tax fraud and tax evasion’. There were 32 abstentions.
A common consolidated corporate tax base should be compulsory for all companies except SMEs after a transitional period, according to a resolution of the European Parliament approved last month by 452 votes to 172, with 36 abstentions.
The divide between tax professionals and tax justice campaigners on the issues of transfer pricing and country by country reporting by multinationals was laid bare at a ground-breaking ‘tax and transparency forum’ attended by more than 200 people in London yesterday.