France is set to introduce a digital tax of between 3% and 5% on the French revenue of large internet companies, which could see some 30 tech giants paying around €500m (£429m) annually, if planned legislation is passed

Estate agents have been hit with unannounced inspections as part of a week-long crackdown on money laundering in the property industry, while national chain Countrywide has been fined a record £215,000 for breaches of the regulations, HMRC has revealed

In this week’s Q&A Vivienne Scott, senior VAT consultant at Croner Taxwise, raises awareness of some beneficial rules of the cash accounting scheme

HMRC’s decision to allow companies a soft landing without penalties for Making Tax Digital for VAT is welcome but there is still much confusion about the software requirements for companies, says Yvette Nunn CTA, owner partner at Berkeley Associates

The deadlines for Brexit and the overhaul of VAT reporting under Making Tax Digital are uncomfortably close, while the risk of reverting overnight on 29 March to third country status for exports and audits, are just some of the bigger unknowns for business, tax advisers and accountants, says Sara White, editor of Accountancy Daily

Ahead of next week’s Spring Statement, the Chancellor is being urged to address claims Scotland is being ‘short changed’ as a result of additional funding being allocated to Northern Ireland

HMRC is highlighting changes to the VAT treatment of personal contract purchases (PCP) and similar contracts, which were previously viewed as supplies of goods and a separate supply of credit, but which in some instances are now considered to be a single supply of taxable leasing services

HMRC is warning households with a landline number to be vigilant of phone calls from fraudsters pretending to be the tax authority, after a surge in the number of scams using this approach

In the event of a no deal Brexit, the government has said it has planned changes to the UK VAT legislation to allow companies to reclaim VAT on supplies of certain financial services made to the EU

The payment window for stamp duty land tax (SDLT) has been halved to 14 days affecting commercial and residential property transactions while a new penalty system will also come into force with immediate effect

This month's HMRC, Treasury and OECD consultations focus on stamp duty land tax (SDLT) for non-resident property purchasers, electronic sales suppression and artificially reduced profits, tax challenges of the multinationals and the digitisation economy, and the plastic packaging tax 

In this month’s round up of tax developments, Harry Potter star loses appeal, HMRC fines homeless man, landmark overseas powers case, July deadline for first MTD, child benefit eligibility warning, Brexit VAT expenses deadline, probate fees hike