Tory rebels prepare to block proposed corporation tax hike February 25, 2021 Conservative rebels are preparing to unite with Labour MPs to block a proposed hike in corporation tax from 19 per cent to 25 per cent, according to reports. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has laid down plans to introduce a “pathway” for hiking corporation tax over the next few months, as he prepares to announce his spring [...]
FCA told to stop cum-ex probe after judge questions regulator’s priorities February 24, 2021 An investigation into a trader involved in cum-ex transactions has been stopped, after a judge questioned the FCA’s apparent lack of commitment to probing the European tax scandal. City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) was ordered to pause its probe until 2022, after a separate court decides on a case brought by Danish tax [...]
Governments expected to come down hard on tax enforcement in coming years February 23, 2021 Business leaders have predicted greater tax enforcement in the next three years, as governments look to balance their books following pandemic pressures. More than half (53%) of business leaders in tax expected greater tax enforcement in the near future, according to research carried out by EY. They anticipated a far more diverse tax risk environment [...]
Self-employed get tax reprieve as HMRC delays first late fee on unpaid self-assessment debt February 19, 2021 Self-employed get tax reprieve as HMRC delays first surcharge on unpaid self-assessment debt
City’s gargantuan tax receipts should never be taken for granted in Whitehall February 15, 2021 By any standards, 2020 was an unprecedented year for businesses and households alike. The uncertainty around our future relationship with the EU and the long shadow cast by the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges not seen since the second world war. Even with the vaccine rollout well underway, the road to recovery remains uncertain with significant [...]
UK financial services sector contributed record £76bn in tax last year February 12, 2021 The UK’s financial services sector paid a record £75.6bn in tax last year, according to a new report. The sector’s contribution in the fiscal year ended March 2020 included £34.1bn in taxes borne directly by firms and an additional £41.5bn from employees and customers, according to a recent report by the City of London Corporation. [...]
Rishi Sunak set to maintain triple tax lock despite Covid-19 deficit February 2, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak is said to have agreed to maintain the Tories’ so-called triple tax lock at next month’s Budget, preventing him from raising income, national insurance or value added tax. The chancellor had come under pressure from Treasury officials to shun the commitment made in the Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto not to increase rates [...]
EU watchdog wants Apple to pay €13bn in back taxes after all February 1, 2021 EU competition enforcers are filing to overturn a verdict which they claim was a legal mistake when it abandoned an order for Apple to pay €13bn (£11.46bn) in Irish back taxes. The decision forms part of the European Commission’s clampdown on ‘aggressive’ tax planning by multinationals. The Commission said in 2016 that two Irish tax [...]
Self-employed given extra month to file tax return fine-free January 25, 2021 HMRC will not levy a late fine on those who file their tax return by 28 February 2021. The deadline to submit a self-assessment tax return is usually 31 January, and late penalties are usually applied to all returns filed after the deadline. HMRC chief executive Jim Harra said scrapping late fees until the end [...]
Tax penalties double in six months following lockdown lull January 20, 2021 The value of penalties imposed by HMRC has doubled in the last six months, with November up nearly 100 per cent on May. Some £41m was collected from penalties in November 2020, up a whopping 97 per cent from the £21m that was collected in May, according to HMRC’s receipts and expenditure data. Penalties could [...]