Can a global minimum tax survive Trump? July 30, 2025 As the G7 exempts the US from the global minimum tax – otherwise known as Pillar 2 – experts are asking when a global tax stops being global? Say Tim Sarson Last month I opened this column talking about an announcement from the German government about a proposal to cut their federal corporation tax rate. [...]
What are heavyweight boxers like Dubois and Usyk really earning? July 19, 2025 With athletes usually trading through a limited company, what are heavyweight boxers like Daniel Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk really earning? When we talk about greatness in sport, we usually talk about physical strength, mindset and sacrifice. We rarely talk about financial resilience: how athletes protect what they’ve earned long after they’ve stepped out of the [...]
HMRC under pressure as underpaid tax by US firms surges July 14, 2025 The UK’s tax collector is under pressure amid a surge in underpaid tax by US companies. HMRC suspects as much as £8.8bn in tax was underpaid by US companies in the previous tax year, a jump of 57 per cent compared to the previous year, according to figures obtained by accounting firm UHY Hacker Young. [...]
Apple: UK tax bill surges as profit passes £1bn July 7, 2025 The amount Apple paid into the Treasury’s coffers surged to more than £300m for its latest financial year as its profit jumped to over £1bn. The US giant paid £303.7m in UK corporation tax in the 12 months to 28 September, 2024, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. The figure is up significantly [...]
Will banks be able to escape a Reeves’ tax raid this Autumn? June 27, 2025 As Rachel Reeves watches her fiscal headroom crumble with every Labour U-turn, the Chancellor may return to her budget mantra that those with the “broadest shoulders should bear the heavier burden”. Lenders managed to skirt a tax raid in the 2024 budget after lobbyists warned it could damage the sector’s international competitiveness, but renewed fiscal [...]
Have developed countries discovered the ideal corporate tax rate? June 26, 2025 International tax was once a veritable jungle of exotic regimes, but now many jurisdictions seem to have settled on a natural equilibrium of around 25 per cent, says Tim Sarson An interesting and rather consequential piece of tax policy from the new German coalition government might have slipped under your radar recently – they are [...]
Reeves warned against bank tax raid May 21, 2025 Rachel Reeves has been warned of the growth consequences of upping tax on lenders after a leaked memo from Angela Rayner called for the Chancellor to launch a cash grab on banks. Reeves was sent a memo by the Deputy Prime Minister ahead of the spring Statement, which called for an annual £700m hike on [...]
Firms delay tax payments as costs soar May 19, 2025 Unpaid business tax liabilities are averaging as much as £28bn a month this year, official data has revealed, suggesting firms are struggling to keep up with mounting costs. Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ £40bn tax hikes last autumn, including rises to employers’ national insurance contributions, were designed to lift the public finances and reduce borrowing. But new [...]
Which taxes hurt growth the most? April 24, 2025 No business enjoys paying taxes. The knock to a company’s bottom line, as well as the costs of compliance with a sprawling regulatory regime, can leave execs foaming at the mouth. But some taxes are more damaging to growth than others. And, according to fresh research, some have virtually no negative economic impact at all. [...]
UK firms overpaying billions in corporation tax, research finds April 9, 2025 UK firms overpaid £14.2bn in corporation in the last tax year, according to research by a leading accountancy firm