TAX POLICY ADMINISTRATION

The Public Accounts Committee has published a highly critical report of HMRC’s tax collection abilities. Among many of the criticisms of the department, the report stated that HMRC ‘collected less tax in real terms [last year] than it managed to collect in 2011/12’.

HMRC has updated its code of governance for resolving tax disputes and the commentary on the litigation and settlement strategy (LSS).

The Law Society of Scotland lent its support to a clamp down on tax avoidance in a new Scottish tax bill.

The Financial Times has reported (15 December) Vodafone as saying that businesses must open up their affairs to more public scrutiny.

A look back on some of this year’s key developments:

• Mike Lane takes stock on the BEPS project, and what to expect;
• David Quentin gives an outspoken view on how business and tax professionals responded to the tax avoidance debate in 2013;
• Adam Craggs sums up some cautionary tales for advisers in the light of the BAA, Mehjoo and Cotter decisions this year.

The draft Finance Bill 2014 contains more than 100 pages on employee share schemes. David Cohen looks at some of the key clauses and proposals.

By Kate Ison & Aude Delechat, tax dispute resolution team, Berwin Leighton Paisner

By Peter Vaines

LPP and separate proceedings

Reasonable excuse and reasonable belief