Allison Plager

ALLISON PLAGER summarises two recent cases.
Advantageous buyback
The OMEGA Group is a plc which trades in computer software. It had an exempt approved pension scheme established in 1949. Exempt approved status under section 592, Taxes Act 1988 gives the fund exemption from income tax on income derived from investments, provided that the Revenue is satisfied that such income is held for the purposes of the scheme. Mercury Asset Management was the appointed discretionary fund manager for the scheme.

JOHN T NEWTH and ALLISON PLAGER summarise some recent cases heard by the Special Commissioners.

Relief in redundancy

The appellant company had carried on manufacturing businesses from various sites and through different divisions in Scotland. However, in August 1997 the entire share capital of the company was purchased by Fullarton Computer Industries Limited.

ALLISON PLAGER explores the little publicised relief available for expenditure on remediation of contaminated land.

Many a parent resorts to bribery to encourage their recalcitrant offspring to tidy their rooms. In a manner of speaking this is what the Government has done in respect of contaminated land. Although in this instance, the money is not given to the one who created the contamination, rather the one who performs the cleaning up operation.

ALLISON PLAGER reports a recent Special Commissioners' case.

No relief for therapy

The appellant, who was a doctor and psychiatrist, was required by his employer, the National Health Service, to undergo personal psychotherapy during his appointment. The National Health Service paid for half of the fees, but the appellant had to fund the balance. He therefore claimed the fees not paid by the employer in his self-assessment tax return.

ALLISON PLAGER summarises two recent cases.

Non-qualifying accountancy services

ALLISON PLAGER scans the Parliamentary Ombudsman's 2000-01 Annual Report.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman, Michael Buckley, has recently published his 2000-01 Annual Report. During the period, he received 1,721 new complaints, compared with 1,612 in 1999-2000. 1,787 complaints were settled, including 247 statutory investigations, and the typical time taken to complete an investigation is nine to ten months.

The Finance Act 2001 heralds substantial changes to the authorised mileage rates. ALLISON PLAGER reports.

The number of employees using their own cars for business purposes is increasing. The company car tax rules have swung to the extent that for many it is simply no longer a benefit to have a company car, so they are choosing (often encouraged or forced by their employers) to give up the company car and use their own vehicles.