Company share option plans (CSOP) and enterprise management incentives (EMI) are two statutory share option regimes that can be used to incentivise employees in a tax-efficient way. Broadly, where the relevant qualifying criteria have been met, both the CSOP and EMI schemes allow employees to acquire shares in their employer (or its group) for less … Continue Reading
As has been widely reported, a number of the Mini Budget proposals (summarised in our recent Tax Blog) have been scrapped. The new Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced these measures claiming that they are estimated to raise £32 billion in taxes every year. More tax rises and spending cuts are expected to be … Continue Reading
UK Mini Budget 2022 The Chancellor today unveiled the UK’s 2022 Growth Plan which has been described as being “the biggest package of tax cuts in generations”. We have summarised here the tax changes that we think will be of interest to our client base. UK corporation tax: the main corporation tax rate that was … Continue Reading
On 20 July 2022, the UK government published draft legislation for the Finance Bill 2022-2023. Of particular interest are amendments to be made to the qualifying asset holding company (QAHC) regime that was introduced from 1 April this year. The regime is part of the UK government’s attempt to increase the attractiveness of the UK … Continue Reading
The recent decision of the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) in BlueCrest Capital Management (UK) LLP v HMRC (29 June 2022) is the first time the UK’s salaried member rules (the Rules) have been considered in the context of an asset management limited liability partnership (LLP). BlueCrest is engaged in providing hedge fund investment management services. In … Continue Reading
HMRC has recently updated the guidance relating to the UK’s new qualifying asset holding company (QAHC) tax regime which was introduced from 1 April 2022. The new guidance clarifies HMRC’s approach to whether corporate lending vehicles used by credit funds should be treated as carrying on an investment activity or a trade in the context … Continue Reading
This was an appeal against the High Court decision in Dodika Ltd & Ors v United Luck Group Holdings Limited from August 2020 (see our Tax Blog on this). The case concerns the question of whether the notice given by the buyer to the sellers under a sale and purchase agreement (“SPA”) of a potential … Continue Reading
The UK has now been in lockdown, on and off, for the best part of a year. With the COVID-19 vaccination programme now in full swing in the UK, and hopefully with light at the end of tunnel, attention has inevitably turned to the question of “how are we going to pay for it all?”. … Continue Reading
Background From the beginning of the UK’s first lockdown in March of last year we have reported on the impact of the pandemic on individual and corporate tax residence and permanent establishment risk. In April 2020 the OECD published guidance on the impact of COVID-19 on double tax treaties (DTTs), including in relation to tax … Continue Reading
On 30 December, the UK government laid regulations that will significantly reduce the type of cross-border arrangement that will need to be reported by UK intermediaries under the so-called DAC 6 rules on 31 January 2021 and in the future. In the last year or so, we have regularly written about DAC 6 in our … Continue Reading
In HMRC v Development Securities, the Court of Appeal (the “CA”) has overruled the Upper Tribunal and agreed with the First-tier Tribunal that the relevant Jersey incorporated subsidiaries of a UK parent were resident in the UK for tax purposes by reason of being centrally managed and controlled in the UK. While of considerable interest, … Continue Reading
The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has published its first report following its review of certain aspects of the UK’s capital gains tax regime requested by the Chancellor in July this year with the specific purpose of identifying opportunities relating to technical and administrative issues as well as areas where the present rules can distort … Continue Reading
The UK Chancellor has today announced that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the furlough scheme) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will be extended against “a worsening economic backdrop”. Earlier this week we reported on the UK Prime Minister’s reintroduction of the furlough scheme until 2 December 2020 (the scheduled end date of the … Continue Reading
Ahead of England’s return to national lockdown this Thursday, the UK Prime Minister has announced the extension of support packages for both employed workers and for the self-employed. As reported by us previously (https://www.proskauertaxtalks.com/2020/09/uk-chancellor-announces-winter-economy-plan/) the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the furlough scheme) was due to end and its replacement, the Job Support Scheme, was to … Continue Reading
As coronavirus infection rates rise and restrictions tighten across the UK, the UK Chancellor has extended the Job Support Scheme (again). Last week we reported on the extension of the Scheme to businesses legally required to close under tier 3 of the alert system (https://www.proskauertaxtalks.com/2020/10/covid-19-extension-of-the-uks-job-support-scheme/). Yesterday (22 October) the UK Chancellor announced the following updates: … Continue Reading
As lockdowns loom across the land with the introduction of a three-tier system of restrictions based on local COVID-19 alert levels, at the highest alert level (tier 3) certain businesses will be forced to close, including pubs and bars (unless they serve substantial meals). To support businesses that are legally required to close as a … Continue Reading
As the UK braces itself for a second wave of COVID-19 the UK Chancellor has announced the Treasury’s Winter Economy Plan with the aim of protecting jobs and supporting businesses over the coming months. Despite the measures introduced in the Chancellor’s Summer Statement (reported by us https://www.proskauer.com/blog/chancellors-summer-statement-focuses-on-hospitality-sector), the UK’s economic recovery “is fragile” amidst the … Continue Reading
Following the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) rulings in Meo and Vodafone Portugal, HMRC has recently updated its VAT manual and published a brief (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-and-customs-brief-12-2020-vat-early-termination-fees-and-compensation-payments/) stating that payments arising out of early contract termination will now be treated as consideration for a taxable supply therefore subject to VAT. This marks a significant change from HMRC’s … Continue Reading
In Dodika Ltd & Ors v United Luck Group Holdings Limited, the High Court (HC) has accepted the sellers’ argument that a notice of a tax claim under a tax covenant served on them by the buyer was invalid because it did not contain the level of information required by the provision in the related … Continue Reading
As the UK’s lockdown is relaxed and unemployment figures are expected to continue to rise, the UK Chancellor gave his summer statement announcing measures to stimulate the economy as it recovers from the effects of coronavirus with a clear emphasis on encouraging people to spend money, particularly in the hospitality sector, to try to protect … Continue Reading
The UK government has opened a consultation on draft legislation concerning the taxation of coronavirus business support payments. HMRC want views on the technical effectiveness of the proposed legislation in ensuring that grants covered by the legislation are subject to tax. Such grants include the much-reported Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“CJRS”) (as reported by us … Continue Reading
The UK’s First-tier tax tribunal (FTT) has just released an interesting decision considering whether or not expenses incurred by a parent company on advisers’ fees that related to a proposed disposal by a group subsidiary and were charged on to its subsidiary were deductible as expenses of management of the subsidiary under section 1219 of … Continue Reading
There has been much discussion over the past year or so about the UK government’s proposal to make changes to the application of the off-payroll working (or IR35) tax rules to private sector end clients so as to shift certain employment status assessment and, depending on the circumstances, employment tax payment obligations from the worker’s … Continue Reading
In light of COVID-19, and in response to requests from European trade associations, the European Commission has published its proposal to amend Directive 2011/16/EU which deals with various strands of administrative co-operation in the field of taxation. Significantly, the proposal includes an extension to the time limit for reporting information under the new rules on … Continue Reading
This website uses third party cookies, over which we have no control. To deactivate the use of third party advertising cookies, you should alter the settings in your browser.