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The High Court continues interim anti-harassment injunction
At a return date hearing on 12 July 2024, Aidan Eardley KC (sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge) continued until trial or further order an anti-harassment injunction granted to prevent the Defendant from, amongst other things, approaching or contacting the Claimant.
Read moreThe Supreme Court clarifies the law on the recovery of damages for non-pecuniary damage arising out of a maliciously false statement
The Claimant was an employee of the second defendant, LCA, a recruitment agency owned and operated by the first defendant. After leaving LCA, the Claimant was employed by another recruitment agency and began targeting LCA's clients. LCA's owner told two third parties, one of whom was the Claimant’s new line manager and the other a client of LCA, that by doing this the Claimant was in breach of her contract of employment with LCA. In fact, there was no term of that contract (as the owner of LCA knew) which prohibited the claimant from soliciting business from LCA’s clients.
Read moreThe Model Anti-SLAPP Law: an overview
Following the Government's response to the SLAPP consultation in the summer, the UK Anti-SLAPP coalition (a working group that includes English PEN, the Foreign Policy Centre and Index on Censorship, "the Coalition") has this week published a model Anti-SLAPP law, which has been endorsed by a collection of free speech and anti-corruption organisations, journalists, editors and lawyers.
Read moreCollective actions under consumer law: proposed amendments to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill
Are class actions under consumer protection law likely following the UK’s new DMCC Bill, and if so, what will the impact on businesses be?
Read moreShift in consumer rights landscape increases risks for retailers
Read moreA shifting landscape? The outlook for data regulation in 2023
With a relatively new Information Commissioner in the UK and a renewed focus on getting post-Brexit data protection laws through Parliament, attention is turning to the ICO’s priorities and how they fit into this new landscape.
Read moreTransitioning to a net zero economy
The TPT has published a draft disclosure framework and implementation guidance for private sector entities to transition to a net zero economy, making recommendations for companies and financial institutions to develop gold-standard transition plans.
Read moreCSRD: shakeup of the EU's sustainability reporting rules
The EU’s new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) entered into force on 5 January 2023.
Read moreDeposit Return Scheme: Key considerations for drinks producers and retailers in the UK
Defra has now responded to its consultation on the introduction of a DRS in England, Wales and NI. The DRS will require retailers to charge a small fee on certain drinks containers sold, which consumers can reclaim if they return the container to a designated return point.
Read moreGoing Green – staying on the right side of competition law
Environmental issues are high on the agenda for many consumers and businesses alike. They are also increasingly an area of focus for competition authorities around the world, including the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), who are keen to ensure that competition law concerns do not unnecessarily prevent businesses from collaborating legitimately on environmental sustainability initiatives.
Read moreNew REUL? How will the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) affect UK businesses?
When the Brexit transition period ended, so did the alignment of EU law with UK domestic law.
Read moreCasting your net zero ambitions: eight key steps for retailers
With climate change at the forefront of the ESG agenda, the employment relationship, and the opportunities to engage with the workforce on this subject, are crucial ingredients in the quest to becoming a truly green retailer.
Read moreWhere to next for Buy Now Pay Later?
On Monday 20 June 2022, HM Treasury responded to its consultation on proposals to extend regulation to unregulated Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) products. This consultation closed in January 2022. The Treasury's response confirmed the scope of regulation will cover BNPL products and short-term interest free credit (STIFC) provided by third-party lenders.
Read moreExtended producer responsibility for packaging: How to prepare
In the Spring 2022 edition of Retail Compass, we reported on the Government's consultation on regulations covering extended producer responsibility (EPR) which places the financial burden of dealing with packaging once it becomes waste on producers as opposed to taxpayers.
Read moreOnline Sales Tax: the right way forward?
On 25 February 2022, HM Treasury launched a consultation exploring the possible introduction of an online sales tax (OST) to address the imbalance resulting from the higher business rates applying to in store retailers, compared to online businesses. The consultation closed on 20 May 2022.
Read moreGreenwashing: UK regulators set their sights on misleading green claims with an increasing focus on sectors such as fashion retail and F&D
UK consumer regulators, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), are ramping up their enforcement of green claims to protect consumers from 'greenwashing'
Read moreWhistle-blowing on illegal cartels drops 70% in 5 years
Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recently increased award to £250,000 Calls to the CMA hotline have plummeted from 1,442 in 2017 to 427 in 2022
Read moreJudicial developments in recent treaty cases
A spate of recent cases concerning the application of double tax treaties has seen the courts and tribunals striving for common¬sense, policy-driven outcomes.
Read moreJudicial review: does the Court of Appeal’s decision in Murphy offer taxpayers a glimmer of hope?
Judicial review provides a constitutionally important judicial check on the exercise of statutory powers by public bodies such as HMRC. However, the wide margin of appreciation afforded to public bodies by the courts, coupled with recent reforms to the judicial review process, make it a remedy of last resort that can be difficult for taxpayers to pursue successfully. In overturning the High Court’s refusal of the taxpayers’ judicial review claim, the Court of Appeal in Murphy v HMRC confirmed that HMRC had breached their legitimate expectation as to the application of an extra-statutory concession. While Murphy is unlikely to be the harbinger of a wholesale rebalancing of the judicial review scales in the taxpayer’s favour, it is a welcome step in the right direction.
Read moreContentious Tax Update 2
Contentious Tax Quarterly Review - Adam Craggs and Harry Smith examine developments in relation to open justice, access to pleadings and the taxation of carried interest.
Read moreUpper Tribunal confirms that anti-abuse provision in UK/Ireland double tax treaty did not apply
In HMRC v Burlington Loan Management DAC [2024] UKUT 152 (TCC), the Upper Tribunal held that the anti-abuse rule in the UK/Ireland double tax treaty did not apply to deny the withholding exemption, when a Cayman Islands company assigned the benefit of a debt to an Irish company.
Read moreUpper Tribunal confirms it’s the end of the road for HMRC's "fishing expedition"
In the recent Hitchins case, the Upper Tribunal confirmed that it was the end of the road for HMRC's "fishing expedition" and ordered it to close its enquiries.
Read moreClosure notices and the appeals process
In this article we consider the process by which a taxpayer can bring a protracted HMRC enquiry to and end and appeal against a closure notice issued by HMRC.
Read moreTax Bites – August 2024
Welcome to the latest edition of RPC's Tax Bites – providing monthly bite-sized updates from the tax world.
Read moreHNWs: Understanding HMRC's Offshore Information Gathering Capabilities
Wealthy individuals have long been the focus of a substantial part of HMRC’s compliance activities, but a difficult economic climate together with a looming general election and possible change of government is likely to lead to even greater scrutiny of HNWs by HMRC in the short term.
Read moreV@ update – July 2024
Welcome to the July 2024 edition of RPC's V@, a monthly update which provides insightful analysis and news from the VAT world.
Read moreTribunal confirms no tax due on disposal of property held on trust for taxpayer's brother
In Raveendran v HMRC [2024] UKFTT 273 (TC), the First-tier Tribunal allowed the taxpayer's appeal against HMRC's discovery assessment in relation to the disposal of a property because it was held on trust for his brother.
Read moreTaxing Matters: Spotlight 63: HMRC shines a light on property business arrangements involving hybrid partnerships
In this episode, Alexis Armitage, RPC's Taxing Matters host and Senior Associate in our Tax Disputes team, is joined by Simon Howley and Amanda Perrotton from Bell Howley Perrotton LLP. They discuss HMRC's Spotlight 63, which focuses on property business arrangements involving hybrid partnerships, which have recently come to the attention of HMRC.
Read moreTribunal confirms loans from remuneration trust were disguised remuneration
In allowing HMRC's appeal in part, the Upper Tribunal determined that payments received under a remuneration trust scheme were caught by the anti-avoidance provisions in Part 7A of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.
Read moreDealing with HMRC information notices
Considering three common types of HMRC information notices and the extent to which they can be challenged.
Read moreTax Bites – July 2024
Welcome to the latest edition of RPC's Tax Bites – providing monthly bite-sized updates from the tax world.
Read moreV@ update – June 2024
Welcome to the June 2024 edition of RPC's V@, a monthly update which provides insightful analysis and news from the VAT world.
Read moreTribunal awards taxpayer his costs due to HMRC's unreasonable conduct
In Aftab Ahmed v HMRC [2024] UKFTT 00236 (TC), the First-tier Tribunal granted the taxpayer's application for costs as HMRC had acted unreasonably in defending the appeal.
Read moreTribunal allows entrepreneurs' relief appeal
In Cooke v HMRC [2024] UKFTT 272 (TC), the FTT allowed the taxpayer's appeal against HMRC's refusal of entrepreneurs' relief
Read moreExploring tax from an ESG perspective
In this month's episode, Alexis Armitage, RPC's Taxing Matters host and Senior Associate in our Tax Disputes team, is joined by Paul Monaghan, Chief Executive and co-founder of the Fair Tax Foundation to discuss the growing interest in tax from an ESG perspective, and the work of the Fair Tax Foundation.
Read moreA tax on conscience? A moral dilemma for non-residents
In HMRC v A Taxpayer, the Upper Tribunal (UT) considered the meaning of ‘exceptional circumstances’ for the purposes of the statutory residency test (SRT) in FA 2013. In overturning the decision of the First-tier Tribunal, the UT held that moral obligations, specifically the need to care for close relatives, were not exceptional circumstances, creating a potential dilemma for individuals when it comes to managing their tax residency status and their family life.
Read moreAll is not (necessarily) lost: Crypto crime recovery
With over 2 million people in the UK now holding and using cryptocurrency, and the Chancellor announcing that a government backed non-fungible token ("NFT") is to be issued by the Royal Mint this summer, the market for crypto-assets is expected to continue to grow in the coming months and years; so much so that legislation is planned to implement a new regulatory regime for the crypto market.
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