Policy

Tax experts applaud Revenue’s “pragmatic” PAYE approach

Ideas for improving the tax system

HMRC have published initial detail on the manner in which they will interpret terms used in the sections of the Scotland Act 2012, which set out the definition of a Scottish taxpayer.

The department is seeking views on whether draft technical guidance provides clarity on the principles by which Scottish taxpayer status should be decided. The definition is focused on where the individual lives, not where he or she works.

Government plans to reduce administrative costs to business by £10bn will fail unless the complexity of the tax code is tackled, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has warned.

Two of the UK’s three longest Finance Acts were enacted in the previous parliament, the ICAEW notes in a letter to the chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne, while calling for a “one in, two out” principle to apply to tax laws.

Payments made by HMRC to informants have hit a record high, according to legal experts.

Tax whistleblowers netted £605,000 in the year ended 31 March 2015, up from £402,000 over the previous 12 months.

The rise was driven in part by a surge in public awareness about the Revenue’s efforts to track down evaders, leading to more individuals alerting the department to possible fraud by former employers or ex-partners, said said City law firm RPC.

Margaret Hodge’s legacy as chair of the Public Accounts Committee

Claiming the marriage allowance takes a lot of effort

The environment for non-domiciles

How will the government’s ‘one nation’ approach apply to tax?

Changes to tax breaks designed to promote investment in small and growing firms will deter investors from taking advantage, according to the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT).

The professional body warned that new legislation creates greater complexity and denies relief to existing financiers that want to increase their investments.

Don’t simply follow past years’ P11Ds when preparing the latest forms

Law Society warns over anti-avoidance measures