On 18 July 2023, HM Treasury and HMRC published draft tax legislation for inclusion in the Finance Bill 2024 and certain policy papers. The draft legislation is open for technical consultation until 12 September 2023. Finance Bill 2024 is expected to be introduced to Parliament in Autumn 2023 and to receive Royal Assent in Spring 2024.

On 7 September 2022, Brazil and the UK issued a joint declaration announcing the intention to start negotiating a double tax convention. This announcement came off the back of a number of years of discussion to progress both policy and technical issues – hence the treaty was able to be signed on 29 November 2022, within three months of that announcement. The treaty has not yet entered into force – this will happen upon completion of the legal procedures required by both countries, but it is not yet clear how long this will take.

Welcome to our first quarter issue of the Private Wealth Newsletter. Our featured insight for this issue is a discussion of the passage of the Corporate Transparency Act by the United States to introduce federally-mandated beneficial ownership reporting obligations for US corporations and limited liability companies. We also include insights…

The inaugural ‘Tax Day’ on 23 March saw a range of announcements on the future of UK tax compliance. One of most significant measures is the re-launch of the proposal to require Large Businesses to notify HMRC of uncertain tax treatments that they have adopted.

This second consultation addresses the criticisms expressed when the proposal was first put forward during 2020. The original trigger of HMRC “may not agree with/is likely to challenge” the treatment adopted by a taxpayer has been replaced with eight separate triggers designed to apply the reporting requirement on a more objective basis.

The revised proposal looks a step in the right direction, but there remain a number of practical concerns to be ironed out. We would recommend that Large Business taxpayers continue to engage with the proposal to ensure it is implemented on proportionate and practicable terms.

The intention is for the requirement to apply to returns that are due to be filed from 1 April 2022 onwards. Therefore, for annual taxes such as corporation tax, this is a live issue that affects the current financial period for the vast majority of taxpayers.

Since 2015, the UK has adopted the minimum standard of required transfer pricing documentation articulated in BEPS Action 13 (“Guidance on Transfer Pricing Documentation and Country-by-Country Reporting”), namely Country-by-Country-Reporting (CbCR). In its latest consultation paper, HMRC have set out their intention to move away from the BEPS Action 13 minimum standard and to require taxpayers of large multinational enterprise groups (MNE groups) to prepare a master file and local files together with supplemental evidence logs. 

HMRC have also set out a proposal for all UK taxpayers that fall under UK transfer pricing rules to submit an international dealings schedule (IDS) – a highly structured form to capture specific intragroup transactions and activities. If introduced, this would be a significant step change from current documentation requirements and one that will likely increase the compliance burden for many.

The inaugural ‘Tax Day’ on 23 March saw a range of announcements on the future of UK tax compliance. One of most significant measures is the re-launch of the proposal to require Large Businesses to notify HMRC of uncertain tax treatments that they have adopted.

This second consultation addresses the criticisms expressed when the proposal was first put forward during 2020. The original trigger of HMRC “may not agree with/is likely to challenge” the treatment adopted by a taxpayer has been replaced with eight separate triggers designed to apply the reporting requirement on a more objective basis.

The revised proposal looks a step in the right direction, but there remain a number of practical concerns to be ironed out. We would recommend that Large Business taxpayers continue to engage with the proposal to ensure it is implemented on proportionate and practicable terms.

The intention is for the requirement to apply to returns that are due to be filed from 1 April 2022 onwards. Therefore, for annual taxes such as corporation tax, this is a live issue that affects the current financial period for the vast majority of taxpayers.

Following the signing of the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on 30 December 2020, the UK Government has announced that it will cease to participate in the EU mandatory disclosure regime known as DAC6, for which reporting was due to commence from January 2021. The UK will implement a lighter reporting regime based on the OECD’s Mandatory Disclosure Rules (“MDR”) set out in BEPS Action 12. As a transitional measure with immediate effect, DAC6 reporting will only be required for certain specific arrangements concerning automatic exchange of information and beneficial ownership.

Four and a half years after the UK voted to leave the EU, a deal between the UK and EU was finally reached. The expiry of the transition period on 31 December 2020 marks the start of a new relationship between the UK and the EU. We have identified the…

HMRC has published its response to the recent consultation on the operation of the UK hybrid-mismatch rules along with draft legislation to amend the rules in various respects. Although the consultation document identified discrete areas where HMRC were seeking views, HMRC also welcomed broader feedback on the current operation of legislation to the extent it was not operating proportionately or as intended. 

HMRC’s proposals only offer partial solutions to many of the issues identified by stakeholders. In particular, US multinational groups may continue to suffer material disallowances under the double deduction rules in some common (and benign) commercial structures. It is clear from our recent discussions with HMRC that they have endeavored strike a balance between fixing some of the issues with the current legislation while ensuring the rules cannot be manipulated. The remaining pitfalls within the legislation which continue to lead to economic double taxation are therefore deliberate policy choices that HMRC intends to stick by irrespective of the harmful consequences for some taxpayers.

The UK Government’s refusal to request an extension to the Brexit transition period, along with the outstanding issues in the negotiations, means that the chances of the EU and the UK trading on a “no-deal” basis as of 1 January 2021 have increased. It is vital, therefore, for companies to…