The head of customer service at HMRC has announced she is leaving in May to go to the private sector after less than a year in the job, a role specially created for Ruth Owen in the recent HMRC customer service reorganisation

Plans to set up a register to monitor ownership of UK properties by overseas purchasers and shell companies look likely to go ahead with the government confirming that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is working on proposals and a consultation will be released in the coming weeks

HMRC is considering the introduction of the principle of conditionality, which would involve making access to licences or services needed to trade conditional upon tax registration, as a way of tackling tax loss via the hidden economy

Brexit uncertainties have not diminished the tax advantages of the UK as yet despite concerns about future trade deals and a drop in inward investment 

HMRC has launched a new hotline for the public to report fraud and evasion, replacing the existing two separate tax evasion and customs hotlines with one, in a bid to streamline information gathering on tax fraud

Starting this week, the Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has new powers to impose penalties for serious financial sanctions breaches of up to £1m or 50% of the breach, whichever is higher

In light of the new salary sacrifice rules which will be introduced this month, Vaneeta Khurana, head of employment tax at Mazars shares her thoughts on what the new draft Finance Bill will mean for employees and employers, and considers the pros and cons of salary packaging

KPMG auditors were ‘unable’ to form an opinion on the accounts of international phone call business Lycamobile UK, while it is also facing a £26m VAT dispute with HMRC, latest filings with Companies House show

From 6 April 2017, the personal allowance is increasing to £11,500 and the higher rate threshold goes to £45,000, with higher rate taxpayers looking to take home an extra £400 each year

Tax avoidance cases before the General Anti Abuse Rule (GAAR) Panel could be ‘pooled’ or ‘bound’ or placed under ‘general referral’ under new guidance measures aimed at increasing efficiency

HMRC has raised an additional £3.3bn in the last year through inquiries into the under-payment of VAT by SMEs, according to analysis by tax investigation insurance expert PfP

From 1 April 2017, the corporation tax rate has been cut to 19% from 20% for the tax year 2017/18, with plans to cut it further to 17% from April 2020 as announced as part of spring Budget 2017