IN BRIEF

Would they really raise 27bn?The Liberal Democrats are proposing a package of tax rises that they claim will raise 27bn in 2028/29. These may look politically attractive: a large sum raised without directly raising taxes on...

No surprises, but a lack of vision?There were no tax surprises in Labours manifesto. The biggest promises were the negative ones: no increases in rates of income tax, NI, VAT or corporation tax. The positive ones were small: permanent measures...

The worst thing is what they are ruling outNot only are they tying their hands by promising not to increase the rates of income tax or VAT or to increase corporation tax, capital gains tax, stamp duty land tax or any tax on pension...

Lessons from a recent case on establishing whether HMRC have raised a notice of enquiry on a return within the one-year time limit.

Why a provision for a future payment isn’t deductible.

On 14 May EU finance ministers finally reached an agreement on a final text of the European Commission’s withholding taxation (WHT) Directive (FASTER). It aims to make WHT procedures in the EU safer and more efficient for cross-border investors, national tax authorities and financial intermediaries, such as banks or investment platforms.

With both the Labour and Conservative Parties pledging to increase tax investigations if they win the General Election, HMRC are likely to target LB, HNWIs and invest more in AI.

A recent tribunal decision confirms that pleadings may be disclosed to third parties to enable professional commentary on important tax issues.

Foreign law matters.

Might we see some tweaks to the proposals after the election?