In brief In two separate appeals concerning the same individual, the Court of Appeal has held that a Christian magistrate was not victimised when he was removed from office after disapproving of same-sex adoptions in the press. The magistrate, who was also a non-executive director of an NHS trust, was…
The use of algorithmic decision-making in recruitment to help improve the effectiveness and efficiency of process is unsurprisingly on the rise. Put simply this technology can enable companies to review far greater numbers of applications at speed, and, in theory, allow for an unbiased approach to recruitment decision making. However, as the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has set out in its recent guidance on this topic, employers should take a critical and careful approach to when and how this technology is applied. If not applied carefully these tools can serve to actually exacerbate the inequalities that they are aiming to address, and could cause employers to fall foul of the UK’s equality and data protection legislation.
Since the ICO boom in 2017, governments around the world began settling on different approaches to regulating the…
This edition of Bite-size Briefings, a series of briefings that take a “bite-size” look at international trends in different jurisdictions, explores the regulation of crypto (or digital assets) and, in this context, the development of anti-money laundering (AML) supervision in the UK, the US, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore and Thailand.…
On 1 April 2021, the UK government announced additional measures targeting the Myanmar regime’s economic interests. Further to the 25 March…
The UK Export Control Joint Unit has published a revised guidance note on exporting military or dual-use technology. This guidance…
Global Affairs Canada announced that the Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement (Canada-UK TCA) entered into force on April 1, 2021 – preserving preferential market access for both Canadian and UK businesses. Resources: The full text of the Canada-UK TCA may be found here. A Joint Interpretative Instrument. Statement by Canada and the…
In brief Following the end of the UK tax year on April 5, 2021, annual share plan returns…
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.
In brief While investment treaties are individually negotiated and drafted, they typically include a number of key protections for investors. Provided that foreign individuals or companies meet the definition of “investor” under the instrument and have made a qualifying “investment” (both of which tend to be broadly defined), they can…