There is more to Inverclyde than meets the eye
In Inverclyde Property Renovation LLP and another v HMRC [2019] UKFTT 0408 (TCC), the First-tier Tribunal upheld an appeal against closure notices that were issued to two LLPs. The FTT found that HMRC should have enquired into the appellant LLPs’ partnership returns under paragraph 24 of Schedule 18 to FA 1998 regarding corporation tax self-assessment and not s12AC of TMA 1970 for partnerships.
The LLPs stated that they did not rely on any lacuna in the legislation, but it was a straightforward case of HMRC having followed the wrong procedural steps. Moreover, HMRC could still be able to remedy the situation through their powers to make discovery assessments, subject to statutory limits.
If HMRC wanted to challenge the relevant return of any LLP members, they should have opened an enquiry into those members’ own returns under s9A, TMA. The FTT reiterated that a taxpayer will not be prevented from challenging the procedural course adopted by HMRC only because they have accepted incorrectly issued notices of enquiry and the fact that HMRC has used a procedural course for a considerable period does not make it correct.
It is HMRC’s common practice not to open s9A TMA 1970 enquires into the returns of individual partners of LLPs in analogous scenarios. This decision may therefore have a wider impact on other similar enquires.
HMRC has appealed the FTT decision and the UT hearing is on 27 April 2020.
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Advances in technology and increased international fiscal co-operation have made global personal tax compliance initiatives pop up in abundance in recent years. To compound the issue, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the corresponding economic fallout prompted domestic governments to increase transparency in relation to investments held by wealthy foreign individuals (with a focus on oligarchs).
In the UK, in the context of the cost-of-living crisis, public opinion certainly seems to be in favour of increased accountability for high-net-worth individuals (eg, on 9 October 2022, 63% of Britons surveyed thought that “the rich are not paying enough and their taxes should be increased”).1
HMRC is one of the most sophisticated tax collection authorities in the world and the department is making significant investments in technology in the field of compliance work; they are well placed to take advantage of new international efforts to increase tax compliance, particularly considering the already extensive network of 130 bilateral tax treaties in the UK (the largest in the world).2 The UK was also a founding member of the OECD’s Joint International Taskforce on Shared Intelligence and Collaboration (JITSIC) forum.
This article discusses the main developments in support of the increased focus on international transparency and personal tax compliance in the UK. There are other international fiscal initiatives, particularly in the field of corporate taxation, but such initiatives are beyond the scope of this article.
It should be noted that a somewhat piecemeal approach, with constant tinkering makes compliance difficult for the taxpayer and is often criticised for lacking the certainty that a stable tax system needs to thrive.
This article was first published with ThoughtLeaders4 Private Client Magazine
