Who leaked the Panama papers? April 4, 2016 How do you leak 2.6 terabytes of data? That's 11.5m records, 4.8m emails and 2.1m PDFs – 40 years worth of data, about 214,000 offshore entities and numerous famous names and faces and how they secretly arranged their taxes. The Panama papers leak is the biggest in history – but how did it ever get leaked and who was [...]
Summoning Sports Direct’s Mike Ashley before MPs is further evidence of select committee arrogance – and it’s to all our detriment April 4, 2016 I’m not a great fan of the way Mike Ashley runs Newcastle United, but I would defend his right to refuse to attend the Business, Innovation and Skills select committee. Ashley has excused himself on a number of occasions from meeting the committee, and its members are now considering whether to compel him, under threat [...]
EU referendum: HMRC is going to reveal EU migrant numbers before the vote April 4, 2016 The number of EU migrants working in the UK is to be announced before the referendum takes place, which is likely to show the level of immigration has been underestimated by current statistics. HMRC is to reveal data on how many national insurance numbers are in use by people from the European Economic Area. A [...]
HM Revenue & Customs heaves deep sigh, promises it’s looking into the Panama Papers April 4, 2016 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has said it will "closely examine" data it receives from the so-called Panama Papers leak, and vowed to act on it "swiftly and appropriately". In a statement following a massive leak last night of papers from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, which purport to reveal how some of the world's [...]
Domino’s Pizza warns it could be hit with extra slice of retrospective tax April 3, 2016 Domino’s Pizza has warned it could be slapped with a retrospective tax bill related to past bonus schemes dating back to 2003. In its annual report, the fast food chain revealed it is in talks with HM Revenue & Customs over some of its bonus plans between 2003 and 2010, which used trusts to award [...]
HM Revenue & Customs continues quest to develop digital presence by ditching IT contract that cost it £10bn March 30, 2016 The UK's tax authority made another move in its mission to go fully digital today by dropping an IT contract worth £10bn. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has agreed a phased exit from a contract with IT suppliers Aspire in favour of seeking services from a wider range of companies from next month onwards. By [...]
It’s nearly the end of the tax year – but before getting stuck into next year’s investments, do consumers really understand how your Isa works? March 23, 2016 Since its introduction, the Isa has proved to be one of the most popular savings vehicles of choice. Every year, in the run up to the end of the tax year, savers continue to put billions of pounds away. Figures from HMRC show that in 2014/15, around 13 million adults subscribed to an Isa and since they first became [...]
From cuts to capital gains tax to a review of the “salary sacrifice” scheme: Here’s what you missed from Budget 2016 March 23, 2016 Eye-catching schemes like the sugar tax, the lifetime Isa and cuts to corporation tax may have grabbed the headlines following last week’s Budget. But a number of the Treasury’s other announcements could impact directly on employees, savers and investors. Here’s a run-down of the best of the rest. REDUCTIONS TO CAPITAL GAINS TAX In two [...]
HMRC in £1.6bn cigarette and alcohol duty crackdown March 21, 2016 HMRC raked in £1.63bn over the past 12 months from investigations into underpaid cigarette and alcohol taxes, new data shows today. Revenues from investigations into so-called sin taxes are up six per cent on the year ending March 2015, according to figures retrieved by accountants UHY Hacker Young. The UK’s black market in cigarettes and alcohol [...]
London Fields craft brewery is up for sale for £1m after founder Jules Whiteway-Wilkinson charged with fraud March 20, 2016 Craft brewers are hot property right now. First Meantime in Greenwich was snapped up by SABMiller and then Asahi, while AB Inbev tapped Camden Town Brewery last year and there has been huge demand from investors wanting to dip their toe in via crowdfunding. Now on the market is Hackney’s London Fields craft brewery, creator of the Hackney [...]