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
The UK Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has published its first report of its review into inheritance tax (IHT). The report, in which STEP is widely quoted, finds that the process for completing IHT forms is too complex and old fashioned, and that too many people are having to fill them in unnecessarily. The OTS… Read More OTS report supports STEP’s calls for simplification
This week STEP hosted a seminar to update members on HMRC’s latest moves to tackle tax evasion and avoidance. Entitled, ‘An essential update on HMRC’s activity to tackle tax evasion and avoidance, including information exchange, new powers and its impact on professional advisors,’ the seminar took place at BDO LLP’s office in London. Speakers included… Read More HMRC: no more safe havens
STEP hosted the last in this autumn’s series of Annual Tax Conferences on 21 October in London. Some outstanding STEP members spoke on topical matters including John Barnett TEP, Emma Chamberlain TEP, Robert Jamieson TEP, Edward Stone TEP, Paula Tallon and Chris Whitehouse TEP. Emma Chamberlain provided a much needed update on deemed domiciliaries –… Read More STEP Annual Tax Conference looks at deemed domiciliaries
STEP attended a meeting held by HMRC on 11 October to obtain feedback on its plan to make tax returns reportable on a quarterly basis, and completely digital. HMRC’s stated objective is to improve the level of service for the public, reduce the cost to the taxpayer, and increase the revenue’s compliance and accuracy. It… Read More Making Tax Digital update
STEP’s Charities UK and Philanthropy Advisors Special Interest Groups hosted a seminar on Charities and Brexit on 6 September presented by STEP members Ed Powles TEP and Tom Dumont TEP and chaired by Suzanne Reisman TEP, writes Emily Deane. According to those in the charity sector there was an immediate drop in charitable donations after… Read More How will Brexit affect the third sector?
As its June 2015 Newsletter declares, HMRC aims to issue an IHT421 probate summary in ten working days from receipt of an IHT400 Inheritance Tax Account. However this does depend on the inheritance tax being paid first. If it has not been credited to the HMRC account, your IHT400 goes into a different, and slower-moving, pile… Read More HMRC’s timescales for dealing with IHT
STEP yesterday (14 April) received a letter from Mr Kosie Louw, Chair of the OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, which was sent to all members of the Global Forum. The letter contains the following statement: ‘I want to state that the public release of taxpayer information is… Read More OECD: ‘Public release of taxpayer information is not consistent with the international standards for tax transparency’
The UK government will be making significant changes to both dividend tax relief and entrepreneurs’ relief effective from 6 April 2016. These changes were outlined by Robert Jamieson TEP at a STEP seminar in London on 22 February. Dividend tax relief The dividend tax credit will be replaced with a new tax-free dividend allowance of… Read More Tax changes your clients may need to know by 6 April
STEP attended a meeting held by HMRC yesterday (3 March 2016) to obtain feedback from tax related governing bodies regarding its imminent – and mandatory – proposals to make tax returns completely digital. We were informed that the objective is to modernise the tax system, improve the level of service for the public and reduce… Read More HMRC’s digital tax plans under fire
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