STEP is delighted and relieved by the news that the proposed increase in probate fees in England and Wales has been dropped. News reports emerged early on Saturday morning (12 October 2019), to the relief of practitioners and others in the industry. ‘STEP welcomes the news that the government has decided to scrap the proposed… Read More UK government drops probate fee increase
The online system for England and Wales probate applications is to be extended further, after a Statutory Instrument was laid before the House of Lords last week. The Non-Contentious Probate (Amendment) Rules 2019 updates previous legislation to allow solicitors and probate practitioners to apply for grants of probate without an invitation from a registry. It… Read More EW to extend online probate service
Update 18 July: The probate fees order has not been scheduled for debate in the week commencing 22 July. As this will be the final week before the UK Parliament rises for its summer recess, and the end of the parliamentary session, the order cannot now be debated or passed until parliament returns on 3… Read More What’s happening with the EW probate fees order?
This Blog will be updated with developments on the Non-Contentious Probate Fees Order 2018 as they occur. Background and details on the proposals, including the fee structure, can be found here. 10 May 2019: What’s happening with the Probate Fees order? 7 February 2019: A House of Commons Delegated Legislation Committee has voted 9 to… Read More England & Wales probate fees: an update
UPDATE 07/12/2018 The Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments’ full report (PDF) has now been published and includes the following conclusion: The Committee draws the special attention of both Houses to this draft Order on the grounds that, if it is approved and made, there will be a doubt whether it is intra vires, and that… Read More Committee draws probate fees legislation to UK parliament’s special attention
The UK government’s plan to increase probate fees has been criticised by the opposition in the House of Lords. Labour’s Justice Spokesperson, Lord Beecham, has tabled the following motion of regret in relation to The Non-Contentious Probate (Fees) Order 2018: ‘Lord Beecham to move that this House regrets that the draft Non-Contentious Probate (Fees) Order 2018… Read More UK Labour party tables motion against probate fees rise
The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee has found that HMRC is failing to guarantee fairness for taxpayers by failing to differentiate between users of sophisticated tax avoidance schemes and ordinary citizens who break the law through uninformed or naive actions. In its report, The Powers of HMRC: Treating Taxpayers Fairly (PDF), the committee found… Read More House of Lords report criticises HMRC’s treatment of taxpayers
Update: STEP News 1 Nov: UK revises anti-organised crime strategy to target professional ‘facilitators’ Original blog: Ben Wallace MP, UK Minister of State for Security at the Home Office, has called for more to be done to make lawyers and accountants who facilitate money laundering recognise their responsibilities. As part of a House of Commons… Read More The new gatekeepers of the financial system
The UK government has accepted an amendment to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill which requires the Overseas Territories to establish public registers showing the beneficial ownership of companies. The amendment, introduced by Labour’s Margaret Hodge and backed by MPs from all the major parties, commits the government to assisting the Overseas Territories in setting up… Read More UK agrees company public registers for Overseas Territories
When the European Union announced its blacklist of jurisdictions judged not to be cooperative on tax in December 2017 it granted several nations in the Caribbean extra time to change their tax systems to meet EU standards. That revised deadline has now passed and the EU’s finance ministers have approved a number of changes. The… Read More EU finance ministers approve changes to blacklist
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