Don't let Yoda talk about CBCR

With the new Star Wars movie due out later this year, no doubt our screens will soon be full of Star Wars related merchandising.

The idiosyncratic way Yoda speaks, which has remained amusing for 35 years, has been used to great effect by many. But please don't try it when taking about CBCR. That way peril lies!!

If at first you don’t sucCCCTB…

How similar are Chris Evans (newly announced presenter of BBC Top Gear) and David Gauke (UK Financial Secretary to the Treasury)? I know, a question we have asked all too often.

Later today the European Commission will provide more detail on a revival of the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base, or CCCTB.

Mention CCCTB to any tax professional who has been around for a while and you will get a similar response. Cue rolling of eyes and a little chuckle.  We’ve been here before. Or so we think.

What becomes of the broken haven?

Much of the current tax debate centres on the use of “tax havens” by certain multinational enterprises (“MNEs”). It is undeniable that some large corporates and high net worth individuals are using such jurisdictions to reduce their tax, hide illicit activity, or both.

And there are a number of initiatives aimed at tackling this. These include country-by-country reporting (“CBCR”) and information exchange agreements.

The aim? To eliminate nefarious activity, and ensure that activities are taxed in the right place, and to the right extent. And who will lose out? Evil MNEs of course. Anyone else?

The Tax Avoidance Magic Porridge Pot

The Magic Porridge Pot is a children’s story about a porridge pot which is magic. The clue is in the title. What is magic is that the porridge pot keeps refilling, however much you eat.

Was Amazon diverted, and is it now back on course?

Clearly Amazon is not the only multi-national enterprise (“MNE”) to have been challenged over its approach to tax. The spotlight continues to sweep the horizon waiting for another company to be caught in the glare. However, it looks as though Amazon has blinked first.

Is HMRC due a review?

In an article for Accountancy, Bill Dodwell, Head of Tax Policy at Deloitte, has called for a "short external review" of HMRC, as part of rebuilding public confidence in the UK tax authority.

Last month, Paul Aplin wrote on this same subject in Taxation, and called for a "comprehensive, informed, independent, impartial review"

gplus uk post: uk election - a tax landscape in the style of Picasso

The pan-european public affairs and communications firm g+ europe has posted an opinion piece on the UK general election and tax policy, which I authored.

It can be found here.