Our Insights

Preparing for the Possibility of a Domicile Enquiry

Helen McGhee, a director and chartered tax advisor at Joseph Hague Aaronson, explores who might be vulnerable to an HMRC enquiry on domicile and how best to deal with such enquiries.

The Kittel Principle - Sweet Sixteen

The following is an article written by David Bedenham about HMRC’s wide-ranging application of the ‘Kittel principle’. The current focus appears to very much be on the labour supply industry and the allegation of ‘Mini Umbrella Company Fraud’ (or ‘MUC Fraud’).  This article highlights the need for taxpayers to get specialist advice at an early stage when faced with a Kittel decision. If you have any queries about Kittel-related issues or similar denials of input VAT or assessments to VAT, please contact Iain MacWhannell (imw@jha.com).

What is domicile and why does it matter for tax?

A quick review of the fundamental principle of domicile, why it matters for tax, and what the current political landscape has in store.

Tax note: Financial Institution Notices (FIN)

Understanding paragraph 4A of Schedule 36 to the Finance Act (“FA”)

SHORT CASE REPORT FTT DECISION – EXCISE DUTY - Cantina Levorato SRL v. HMRC [2021] UKFTT 461 (TC)

Short Case Report on FTT Decision Excise Duty

Fast Track for Register of Overseas Entities Owning UK Property

The invasion of Ukraine has prompted the UK government to speedily publish the draft legislation for the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill 2022 which requires foreign entities that acquire UK property (freehold interests or leases granted for more than 7 years) to register with Companies House and declare details of their beneficial ownership.

Global Minimum Tax on Corporations: OECD GloBE Model Rules and their implementation in the UK

This article is a follow-up to our two previous articles of 20 August 2021 and 7 December 2021.

On 8 October 2021, the OECD/G20 published a statement confirming that 136 jurisdictions¹ had agreed to a two-pillar solution to address the tax challenges that arise from the digitalisation of the economy and setting out an implementation plan.

SHORT CASE REPORT FTT DECISION – ‘MTIC’ FRAUD – KITTEL TEST PTGI International Carrier Service Limited v. HMRC [2022] UKFTT 20 (TC)

1. A so-called “MTIC case”, in which HMRC alleged knowledge or means of knowledge of fraud.  The taxpayer, PTGI, denied those states of knowledge.  After a relatively lengthy trial, the Tribunal allowed the appeal of PTGI.
2. The decision represents a good reminder that HMRC’s “MTIC” decision-making mould is not a “one size fits all”, unbeatable formula at the Tribunal.  The Tribunal will robustly analyse HMRC’s (usually) inference-led allegations.

HMRC consultation on the OECD mandatory disclosure rules

HMRC has published a consultation on draft regulations to implement the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) rules on mandatory disclosure of certain avoidance arrangements. Helen McGhee and Nahuel Acevedo-Peña explain the background to the new rules and their implications.

Post-Prudential: Decision released by the FTT

On 8 December 2021, judgment in the Post Prudential Group Litigation was handed down by the First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) (“FTT”). These were appeals and applications for closure by approximately 200 taxpayers, who had made a variety of claims seeking repayment of unlawful DV tax imposed on dividends received from foreign portfolio holdings. The FTT considered the validity of these various statutory claims following decisions in test cases in the CFC & Dividend GLO, namely Claimants in Class 8 of the CFC and Dividend Group Litigation v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2019] EWHC 338 (Ch), [2019] 1 WLR 5097 (“Class 8”) and Prudential Assurance Co Ltd v HMRC [2018] UKSC 39; [2019] AC 929 (“Prudential SC”).