Monthly Archives: January 2014

Possible Increased Taxes for English, Welsh and Northern Irish Taxpayers

Posted on January 31, 2014 by

The governor of the Bank of England, the UK central bank, has warned of possible increased taxes for the remaining UK if an independent Scotland tried to keep the UK £ Sterling. But England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with no … Continue reading →

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Tax and Human Rights

Posted on January 28, 2014 by

As a tax barrister I have an interest in human rights to help clients. So a radio piece today by an MP seeking to amend how the Human Rights Act works was intriguing. A big complaint some MPs have is … Continue reading →

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Contractors Challenging HMRC

Posted on January 27, 2014 by

As a tax barrister the news that more contractors are challenging HMRC using judicial review is interesting. There is a constant tension between HMRC jumping down on seemingly any business plan by small business and contractors trying to have more … Continue reading →

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Beware Phishing by Copycat ‘Government’ or ‘HMRC’ Sites

Posted on January 26, 2014 by

With self-assessment online approaching at the end of this month phishing is a problem to be wary of. Internet scammers can set up copycat sites that at first glance look like a real government or HMRC site. They then phish … Continue reading →

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Politics vs. Value of Raising Personal Tax to 50%

Posted on January 26, 2014 by

One of the main political parties has announced its plan to raise the top rate of personal tax to 50%, if it wins the 2015 election. As a tax barrister looking just at the technical angle, and leaving politics aside, … Continue reading →

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HMRC Suspicious of Partnerships and LLPs

Posted on January 24, 2014 by

A report by the Office of Tax Simplification, OTC, highlights HMRC’s suspicions of partnerships and LLPs especially. This is unfair as a partnership is a simple and long-established business model and many professions are pushed into operating that way by … Continue reading →

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A Great Victory: FMX Food Merchants v HMRC TC/2011/4985, 29/Nov/13

Posted on January 15, 2014 by

Following my win of a £1/2 million customs duty case for garlic importer FMX Food Merchants against HMRC in November, I have had several enquiries about this area of tax. Essentially, the Tax Tribunal held, following my submissions, that there … Continue reading →

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