As part of its open inquiry into the use of the retail price index (RPI) in assessing government debt repayments and indirect taxes, the economic affairs committee quizzed Chancellor Philip Hammond during a meeting

Nearly three-quarters of Scots believe that the tax imposed by HMRC on Scotch Whisky should be at least as competitive as European taxes on flagship food and drink products, according to a poll commissioned by the Scotch Whisky Association

HMRC’s elite fraud team, the fraud investigation service (FIS), collected £5.47bn in extra tax last year, an increase of £300m (6%) from the previous year, according to analysis by Pinsent Masons which suggests tax authorities are taking advantage of wider powers to launch civil investigations

The insurance premium tax (IPT) has delivered 19% more in tax revenues than was originally predicted, with revenues now close to £6bn, as businesses are taking out increasing amounts of insurance cover and the tax rate on policies has increased

The confusion surrounding the tax status of platform workers has led to the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) proposing significant changes to bring them their status into line with PAYE, says Lee Hamilton, partner at Blick Rothenberg

Tax reforms are accelerating worldwide, with the trend towards pushing down corporate tax rates in order to boost investment gaining momentum over the last two years, according to analysis from the OECD

Although there is still little detail on the UK’s exit from the EU, the government has published guidance on how to prepare for a no deal scenario. Jane Malkin, European head of tax development at Tax Systems, explains how a no deal Brexit will affect tax and provides tips on steps businesses can take to prepare

HMRC has had its practice of loss streaming in relation to transfers of trade validated in the Court of Appeal in Leekes Ltd v Revenue & Customs Commissioners [2018] BTC 21. Paul Davies CTA ACA, tax writer at Croner-i, takes a closer look at the decision

HMRC has updated its guidance on applying for venture capital schemes to include a requirement to check scheme conditions and provide potential investor details before applying for advance assurance

HMRC has updated its guidance on how the VAT cash accounting scheme works, to provide information on how businesses should account for VAT if they leave the scheme voluntarily, or if their turnover exceeds the ceiling

Entrepreneurs’ relief should be scrapped as an expensive, ineffective, and regressive option, with the £2.7bn saved used by the government towards funding its £20bn NHS pledge, according to claims by the Resolution Foundation

Bill Dodwell LLB CTA, senior policy adviser at OTS, considers how the history of PAYE will impact engagers and online platforms following the release of two HMRC consultations