September 21st, 2026
Introduction HMRC expects to issue approximately 1.8 million simple assessment letters for the 2025/26 tax year… a staggering increase from the 675,000 letters sent just five years ago. The expansion is a direct consequence of frozen tax thresholds dragging millions of people into the tax net, often for relatively small sums. What is Simple Assessment? […]
September 21st, 2026
Introduction The Upper Tribunal has provided welcome clarity on the mechanics of SDLT overpayment claims, resolving several practical questions that have plagued practitioners attempting to recover tax paid in error. The decision offers a roadmap for future claims while highlighting ongoing areas of uncertainty. The Landscape of SDLT Errors Stamp Duty Land Tax is a […]
September 19th, 2026
Introduction The Government’s consultation on creating a new criminal offence for making “reckless” false or misleading statements to HMRC has sent ripples through the tax profession. If enacted as proposed, the offence would mark a significant lowering of the threshold for criminal liability in tax matters… and raises genuine questions about whether ordinary taxpayers making […]
September 18th, 2026
Introduction HMRC has published detailed guidance on its new anti-avoidance information notice powers, introduced by sections 177-208 of the Finance Act 2026. These provisions represent a significant expansion of HMRC’s ability to obtain information from those it suspects of promoting or facilitating tax avoidance. The gloves, it seems, are coming off. The New Powers The […]
September 17th, 2026
Introduction Chris Rokos, the hedge fund billionaire who paid an extraordinary £330 million in UK tax last year, has announced his intention to leave Britain. The departure of one of the country’s largest individual taxpayers reignites the debate about whether aggressive tax policy drives away the very people who contribute most to the Exchequer. The […]
