UK: Amendment to provisions for farmers’ averaging of profits
A policy paper released by the UK government on 9 December confirms that legislation is to be included in the Finance Bill 2016 to amend the provisions on farmers’ averaging of profits. The new provisions will allow an individual engaging in a
See MoreUK: Annual report on code of practice for banks
The Code of Practice on Taxation for Banks was published in December 2009. This voluntary Code of Practice was a non-statutory statement of principles on bank governance, openness and attitudes to tax planning. The larger financial institutions are
See MoreUK: Examples published to illustrate hybrid mismatch rules
On 22 December 2015 the UK published some examples as part of the guidance on the hybrid mismatch rules. The examples are intended to illustrate the operation of the rules in practice. The hybrid mismatch rules will implement in UK legislation the
See MoreUK: Statistics for Creative Industries Tax Relief
The UK has published statistics relating to the claims made for creative industry tax relief. The statistics include data for the film tax relief, high end television tax relief and animation tax relief for periods to April 2015. In the case of high
See MoreUK: Legislation to ratify agreements with Jersey, Guernsey, and Kosovo
Legislation was forwarded on December 9, 2015 to the House of Commons to ratify the UK's pending tax agreements with Jersey, Guernsey, and
See MoreUK: Scottish rate of income tax
On 16 December 2015 the UK updated its guidance on the Scottish rate of income tax. From 6 April 2016 people living in Scotland are to pay the Scottish rate of income tax at a rate of 10%. However the same overall rate of income tax will be paid as
See MoreUK: Consultation on changes to National Insurance Contributions
On 9 December 2015 the UK issued a consultation document proposing changes to Class 2 and Class 4 national insurance contributions. These are payments made by self-employed people in respect of entitlement social security benefits including the
See MoreUK: VAT changes following Le Credit Lyonnais case in the ECJ
A change to the VAT regulations in the UK will affect partly exempt businesses that have establishments both inside and outside the UK. The changes have been made in response to the ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in the Le Credit
See MoreUK issues timetable for digital tax accounts
On 14 December 2015 the UK issued a document entitled Making Tax Digital. This outlines the future of digital returns and sets out a timetable for phasing in further changes. By April 2016 individuals and small businesses will have access to a
See MoreUK: Measure to increase large business tax transparency
Following an announcement in the Summer Budget 2015 and a public consultation legislation is to be introduced in the Finance Bill 2016 to require large businesses or qualifying groups to publish on the internet a tax strategy in relation to UK tax.
See MoreUK: Consultation on draft regulations for Innovative Finance ISA
The UK government has published in draft form the Individual Savings Account (Amendment No 2) Regulations 2016 introducing a new type of Individual Savings Account (ISA) called the Innovative Finance ISA. Comments on the draft legislation may be
See MoreUK: Call for evidence on cash and the hidden economy
The hidden economy has generally been understood as an economy that uses cash to avoid leaving a record of transactions. Recently the decline in the use of cash within the UK economy has been highlighted as consumers and businesses use other methods
See MoreUK: Consultation on Companies Excluded from the Employment Allowance
The Employment Allowance introduced in 2014 allows most businesses a deduction of GBP 2,000 a year (GBP 3,000 a year from April 2016) from their liability for employers’ national insurance contributions. With effect from April 2016 the Employment
See MoreUK Urges Offshore Tax Evaders to Use Disclosure Facilities
The UK Financial Secretary to the Treasury is warning offshore tax evaders that the government will soon begin receiving information about UK taxpayers from more than ninety countries under the international agreement on automatic exchange of
See MoreUK: Proposed Tax Measures in Autumn Statement
The Autumn Statement was delivered on 25 November 2015 and the following tax measures were announced: Apprenticeships levy With effect from April 2017 an Apprenticeships Levy will be introduced at a rate of 0.5% of total payroll and will be
See MoreUK: Autumn Statement Includes Measures Effective from 25 November 2015
The Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered his Autumn Statement to Parliament on 25 November 2015. The measures with immediate effect from 25 November 2015 are as follows: Loans to participators, trustees of charitable trusts: This measure affects
See MoreUK: Finance (No 2) Act 2015 Receives Royal Assent
The Finance (No. 2) Act 2015 received the Royal Assent on 18 November 2015. The Act provides that the basic, higher and additional rates of income tax will not increase above their present levels in this parliament (i.e. until the next general
See MoreUK: Autumn Statement May Include Measures to Combat Tax Avoidance
On 25 November 2015 the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer is to announce fiscal measures for 2016/17 in the annual Autumn Statement. The proposals will be formulated against a backdrop of lower tax receipts and higher borrowing than expected, and the
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