The government reveals Panama Papers taskforce has yielded criminal investigations and new leads November 8, 2016 A government taskforce launched in the wake of the Panama Papers leak earlier this year has "added greatly" to the understanding of offshore tax evasion structures, the chancellor Philip Hammond said today. The "Panama Papers Taskforce" was launched in April to analyse the information that had been released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The [...]
Article 50 rematch: Supreme Court hearing dates announced November 8, 2016 Government's appeal to the Supreme Court for the Article 50 case is officially on. The highest court in the country announced today it has set aside four days between 5 and 8 December to hear the appeal, although exactly how long the case will last will depend on what further legal submissions are received. All 11 of [...]
Brexit opening up a whole new world of work for lawyers November 8, 2016 June's vote for Brexit has shaken up the legal industry, including revealing lucrative pockets of work for lawyers, according to a report published today. The Natwest study highlighted how lawyers are becoming increasingly in demand as the "sheer complexity of the regulatory and legislative changes needed to support the UK's exit from the EU becomes clearer". However, [...]
Attorney general jumps to defend courts following Article 50 backlash November 7, 2016 Attorney general Jeremy Wright has stood up to defend the courts today, following attacks on the legal system after high court judges decided government must consult parliament before Article 50 can be triggered. Speaking at an event to launch the Law Society's pro bono charter and manual, Wright said that, while those involved in the case could [...]
British businesses say cuts to corporation tax are “not the be all and end all” November 7, 2016 British businesses do not want further corporation tax cuts for fear of alienating the general public. The consensus opinion across the UK's companies is that corporation tax is not a "defining feature of tax policy". This means that the benefits of a cut are outweighed by negative publicity attached to business’ role in the tax system, according to [...]
Real wages are on the wane and it’s only going to get worse, say accountants November 7, 2016 Sterling’s post-Brexit vote collapse is hitting Britons where it hurts the most. In the pocket. Inflation is outstripping wage growth as businesses are forced to pass on increased costs associated with sterling’s slump to consumers, according to a report prepared by accountants BDO. “Rapidly rising inflation is quickly going to hit the pockets of UK [...]
Convicted Libor traders hit back at fraud squad boss for “misleading” comments November 6, 2016 Two convicted Libor traders have launched fresh attacks against the head of the fraud squad for presenting "misleading" stories about their trials. The scathing criticism comes after David Green, director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), gave evidence to the Justice Select Committee last month on, among other things, his agency's performance in the Libor [...]
Article 50: What happens next? November 3, 2016 The government must consult parliament before it can trigger Article 50, a court has decided today. But what does that mean for Brexit? Quickly remind me: who's involved in all of this? The case was brought to court by a number of parties but the lead claimant is businesswoman Gina Miller. Basically, they were arguing [...]
Government vows to appeal after High Court rules Article 50 cannot be triggered without Parliamentary vote November 3, 2016 The government has vowed to appeal after a High Court judge ruled the Brexit process cannot be started until Parliament has given its backing. The ruling, handed out today, means Theresa May cannot trigger Article 50 without approval from MPs. A spokesman said the government was "disappointed" by the judgement. "The country voted to leave [...]
A crackdown on VAT fraud could turn business leaders into “pariahs” October 31, 2016 Business leaders could be held personally responsible for employees going behind their back and undertaking fraudulent actions if government proposals are taken forward. An HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) consultation on VAT reform closes for comments next week and experts are staggered that the plans heighten the bar of the level of detail company directors need to know. Businesses and [...]