In This Issue - Pinsent Masons
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In This Issue - Pinsent Masons
Issue 17 Wednesday 30 January 2013 Combining the experience, resources and international reach of McGrigors and Pinsent Masons PM-Tax News and Views from the Pinsent Masons Tax team In This Issue Our Comment 2 Recent Articles 5 Our perspective on recent cases 6 •The GAAR commencement rules by Heather Self •SDLT and transfers of rights by John Christian •Long live the CSOP! by Matthew Findley •The money-go-round: the relevance of Spargo’s case (1873) to 21st century tax law by Conor Brindley Procedure •R (on the application of Prudential plc and another) (Appellants) v Special Commissioner of Income Tax and another (Respondents) [2013] UKSC 1 •The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills (Claimant) v Mr Nadhan Singh Potiwal (Defendant) [2012] EWHC 3723 (Ch) •James Edoh v HMRC [2013] UKFTT 787 (TC) Substance •South African Tourist Board v HMRC [2013] UKFTT 780 •BGŻ Leasing sp. z o.o. v Dyrektor Izby Skarbowej w Warszawie C-224/11 •H S Tank & Sons Limited v HMRC [2013] UKFTT 005 Events People Editor: Cathya Djanogly 10 11 Next Our Comment Pinsent Masons The GAAR commencement rules By Heather Self First published in Tax Journal on 18 January 2013 Heather Self is a Partner with over 25 years of experience in tax. She has been a partner in Ernst & Young and Group Tax Director at Scottish Power, where she advised on numerous corporate transactions, including the $5bn disposal of the regulated US energy business. Email: heather.self@ pinsentmasons.com Tel: +44 (0)161 662 8066 T he commencement rules for the GAAR have now been announced, and are less draconian than many had expected. They are set out in clause 10 of the draft rule, with guidance in Chapter 6 of Part A. The GAAR will apply to any arrangements entered into after Royal Assent, and does not apply to any arrangements entered into before that date. The rules for arrangements which straddle the commencement date are interesting. If the post-commencement steps are themselves abusive, the GAAR will apply, but only to any postcommencement tax advantage. If the post-commencement steps are not abusive in their own right, but are part of a broader abusive arrangement, HMRC cannot take this into account – the earlier steps will not ‘taint’ the later ones. But, in contrast, the taxpayer can take into account the overall arrangements in order to show that the postcommencement steps are not abusive. The examples in Chapter 6 of the draft guidance are helpful in illustrating the approach. . of legislation against one such scheme on 21 December, barely two weeks after the Autumn Statement, shows that this risk is high. “ The GAAR will apply to any arrangements entered into after Royal Assent, and does not apply to any arrangements entered into before that date. Historic planning is therefore safe from the GAAR (but may of course be attacked under existing rules). Those who think that they can continue to sell aggressive planning ideas right up to the commencement date, in a ‘buy now while stocks last’ campaign, may see a glimmer of hope in the transitional rules, but run the risk that the government will introduce specific blocking legislation at short notice. The announcement 2 PM-Tax | Issue 17 Wednesday 30 January 2013 Contents Back Next Our Comment Pinsent Masons SDLT and transfers of rights By John Christian “ First published in Tax Journal on 18 January 2013 John Christian is a partner and head of our Corporate Tax Team. He specialises in corporate and business tax, and advises on the tax aspects of UK and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and partnering arrangements, private equity transactions, treasury and funding issues, property taxation, transactions under the Private Finance Initiative and VAT. Email: john.christian@ pinsentmasons.com Tel: +44(0) 113 368 7924 D evelopers and others using sub-sales and similar structures should review the proposed changes to relief from SDLT on transfers of rights to check they do not affect current or proposed structures. The transfers of rights relief in FA 2003 s 45 is often relevant in development and joint venture structures where sub-sales or similar transactions are involved. The draft clauses substantially re-write the rules and the detail will need to be worked through on proposed transactions. The broad effect of the s 45 relief remains, so that an intermediate purchaser under a sub-sale or contract resulting from an assignment of rights is generally relieved from SDLT, though the relief now has to be claimed. Specific changes have however been made to counter avoidance: • a widely drawn provision denies transfer of rights relief where one of the main purposes of the intermediate purchaser is to obtain a ‘tax advantage’ from the arrangements. It is not clear whether ‘tax advantage’ may relate to any tax, rather than just SDLT. The definition of ‘tax’ in FA 2003 s 121 means SDLT except where the context requires. The recent debate between HMRC and the industry on the availability of group relief on hive-ups from acquired SPVs illustrates the difficulty that can arise in identifying what may be regarded as avoidance. • a minimum consideration is imposed on transactions where the parties are connected, e.g. in some joint venture or partnering structures, or are not acting or arm’s length terms. These rules may lead to issues where the sub-sale or assignment is completed at a lower price than the original contract, perhaps to reflect movement in market values or for other commercial reasons. . The transfers of rights relief in FA 2003 s 45 is often relevant in development and joint venture structures where sub-sales or similar transactions are involved. 3 PM-Tax | Issue 17 Wednesday 30 January 2013 Contents Back Next Our Comment Pinsent Masons Long live the CSOP! By Matthew Findley “ First published in Tax Journal on 18 January 2013 Matthew Findley is a partner and he advises companies in relation to the design, implementation and operation of share plans and employee incentive arrangements both in the UK and internationally. His experience extends to both executive plans (including tax-driven structures) and all-employee arrangements. Matthew also has considerable experience of the corporate governance and investor relations issues associated with executive incentives and remuneration planning generally. Email: matthew.findley@ pinsentmasons.com Tel: +44 (0)20 7490 6554 T he government’s decision to retain the company share option plan (CSOP) has been universally welcomed. Proposed relaxations to the CSOP legislation could, once enacted, lead to increased take up amongst unlisted companies. Significant concerns emerged during 2012 that the CSOP was to be scrapped as a result of the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) review of HMRC approved employee share plans. The future of the CSOP is, however, now much brighter. Not only has the government decided to retain the CSOP but it is also taking forward a number of changes recommended by the OTS which would make the CSOP available to more unlisted companies. PM-Tax | Issue 17 Wednesday 30 January 2013 Unlisted companies have historically struggled to qualify for the CSOP as the option shares cannot be subject to restrictions. The proposed abolition of that prohibition means that unlisted companies should consider whether they will qualify once the changes are made. This will be of particular relevance to those companies which are not able to offer enterprise management incentives. Note, however, that the proposed changes do not provide complete flexibility. For example, companies under the control of another company (e.g. many private equity backed companies) will still not be eligible. In addition, those companies with more than one class of share will still need to carefully analyse their position under the legislation. If the CSOP is available, companies should also examine who might participate. Currently, if an employee holds 25% or more of a company’s shares he cannot participate in a CSOP. That threshold is to be raised to 30% and so some substantial shareholders who could not previously benefit from a CSOP will soon be able to do so. Unlisted companies have historically struggled to qualify for the CSOP as the option shares cannot be subject to restrictions. . The proposed changes to the CSOP legislation can be reviewed at www.lexisurl.com/ CSOP. 4 Contents Back Next Recent Articles Pinsent Masons The money-go-round: the relevance of Spargo’s case (1873) to 21st century tax law By Conor Brindley First published in Taxation on 10th January 2013 Conor Brindley is a Senior Associate who specialises in most aspects of corporate and employee taxation. Conor has extensive experience of corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, demergers and corporate reconstructions. He also has considerable experience in structured finance, securitisation and employee incentive arrangements. Email: conor.brindley@ pinsentmasons.com Tel: +44 (0)20 7490 6103 T he case of Re Harmony and Montague Tin and Cooper Mining Co, Spargo’s Case (1873) 8 Ch App 407 established the principle that where A’s obligation to pay a sum of money to B is set off against B’s obligation to pay an equal sum of money to A, the setting-off of one payment obligation against another is the same as the making of the appropriate cash payments. The result is that neither party is required to make a cash payment. In his judgment, Mallish LJ stated the principle as follows: “Nothing is clearer than that if parties account with each other, and sums are stated to be due on one side, and sums to an equal amount due on the other side on that account, and those accounts settled by both parties, it is exactly the same thing as if the sums due on both sides had been paid. Indeed, it is a general rule of law, that in every case where a transaction resolves itself with paying money by A to B, and then handing it back again by B to A, PM-Tax | Issue 17 Wednesday 30 January 2013 if the parties meet together and agree to set one demand against the other, they need not go through the form and ceremony of handing the money backwards and forwards.” Focussing on the tax implications Although the principle in Spargo’s Case clearly has wider relevance other than in respect of the tax code, it is still often relied on when analysing the tax consequences of a transaction which involves one liability being set off against another. Its continuing relevance is most probably best demonstrated by the fact that it continues to be referred to in recent tax cases – see Investment Trust Companies (in liquidation) v CRC [2012] STC 1150 and MJP Media Services Ltd v CRC [2011] STC 2290. Perhaps the most useful consequence of the principle in Spargo’s Case is that it can relieve a party of the obligation to obtain short-term financing without altering the tax consequences. This is because it is good authority that cash need not be “round. tripped” where one liability is set against another. For example, where A owes £100 to B and B owes £100 to A and both parties agree that the mutual obligations may be set off against one another, A does not need to pay £100 to B and B does not need to pay £100 to A in order for the liabilities to be treated as discharged in the same way as if actual cash payments had been made. Debt for equity swaps In the current economic environment, this relieving of an obligation to raise short-term financing can be particularly useful in the context of debt for equity swaps, where the debt has become distressed. The general rule where debt is swapped for equity is that where an unconnected debtor is released from its obligation to repay a loan relationship debt in consideration of the issue of shares, any profit recorded in the debtor’s accounts in respect of the release will only escape a charge to tax if CTA 2009, s 322 applies. However, there are many factors which can prevent s 322 from applying. For example, the debt may not be accounted for on an amortised cost basis. Where s 322 cannot apply, the debtor company can still avoid a tax charge in respect of the “release” if the creditor subscribes in cash for additional shares in the debtor and the debtor uses the subscription proceeds to repay the debt (in effect swapping the debt for equity). In such circumstances, the principle in Spargo’s Case can be relied upon as authority that cash need not pass from the creditor to the debtor and then back to the creditor provided that the debtor and creditor agree that the debtor’s obligation to repay the debt is to be set off against the creditor’s obligation to pay the subscription proceeds. This application of the principle in Spargo’s Case demonstrates that the case is as relevant in the 21st century as it was in the 19th. . 5 Contents Back Next Our perspective on recent cases Pinsent Masons Procedure R (on the application of Prudential plc and another) (Appellants) v Special Commissioner of Income Tax and another (Respondents) [2013] UKSC 1 Legal Professional Privilege does not extend to legal advice given by someone other than a member of the legal profession. which should be recognised as giving legal advice and as to the type of advice which would constitute legal advice. The Supreme Court also stressed that the extension of LPP was a matter of public policy which should be left to Parliament. HMRC had issued Prudential with an information notice requesting the company to provide various documents. Prudential had refused to comply, contending that the documents contained legal advice, and as such were protected by legal professional privilege, even though they had been drafted by accountants and not lawyers. HMRC obtained authorisation from the Special Commissioners to require Prudential to provide the documents. Prudential sought judicial review of the decision and lost in the first instance and on appeal. This was an appeal of the decision of the Court of Appeal. Upholding the decision of the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court (by a majority of five to two), found that LPP could not be extended by the courts in the manner suggested by the appellants. The Supreme Court noted in particular that such an extension of the doctrine would lead to major uncertainty as to the professions PM-Tax | Issue 17 Wednesday 30 January 2013 Comment by James Bullock The restriction of legal professional privilege to advice given by a practicing solicitor or barrister ensures that the advice in question is given by a person who is both professionally qualified and rigorously regulated. That is not to say that other professionals giving advice on the law are not, but in any extension of legal professional privilege that underlying principle needs to be maintained. This is best done by Parliament, following an extensive consultation. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills (Claimant) v Mr Nadhan Singh Potiwal (Defendant) [2012] EWHC 3723 (Ch) The relitigation in the High Court of an issue already decided in the Tax Tribunal can constitute an abuse of process even when there is no privity between the parties. In a previous hearing, the Tax Tribunal had held that Mr Potiwal knew that a company, of which he was the sole director, was participating in the fraudulent evasion of VAT. In a subsequent action, the Secretary of State for Business Innovation & skills applied for Mr Potiwal to be disqualified as a director for having caused his company to participate in a fraud. Mr Potiwal denied in an affidavit that he knew or ought to have known that his company was participating in VAT fraud. The Secretary of State applied to strike out this part of the evidence on the ground that it amounted to an abuse of process – as the issue of Mr Potiwal’s knowledge had already been decided in the Tax Tribunal. determinations made in legal proceedings. The court found that there was privity of interest between Mr Potiwal and his company but not between HMRC and the Secretary of State. Although they are both government departments with “substantial overlap of interest”, this was not sufficient to make them privies. However, the absence of privity did not prevent the relitigation of the issue of Mr Potiwal’s knowledge from constituting an abuse in circumstances where HMRC had already incurred substantial costs in the proceedings and the Secretary of State was likely to incur further costs. The High Court added that to find otherwise would bring “the administration of justice into disrepute”. The relevant passages of Mr Potiwal’s affidavit were therefore struck out as an abuse of process. Under the doctrine of res judicata, parties to litigation and their privies are bound by any 6 Contents Back Next Our perspective on recent cases Pinsent Masons Procedure James Edoh v HMRC [2013] UKFTT 787 (TC) In the absence of strong evidence of an agreement between HRMC and an unrepresented taxpayer who denies the existence of such an agreement, the tribunal will hold that such an agreement does not exist. Mr Edoh appealed against HMRC’s decision to deny a claim for £19,400 worth of expenses representing payments made to subcontractors for work on his business IT equipment. Tribunal did not have jurisdiction to reopen the appeal as it had been determined by agreement in accordance with Section 54 Taxes Management Act 1970. Having reviewed the evidence, the Tribunal held that the £19,400 should have been allowed as expenses. The Tribunal also noted that it would not be fair to allow Mr Edoh – who was unrepresented - to pay far more tax than was due as a result of a “misunderstanding, his confusion or pressure from HMRC”. . The appeal was allowed. Despite various exchanges of correspondence and several meetings with HMRC, what had been agreed was unclear to both sides. This was partly the result of HMRC mislaying Mr Edoh’s original tax return, Mr Edoh’s accountant completing the replacement tax return incorrectly and a change of investigating officer on the case at HMRC. HMRC alleged that Mr Edoh had agreed their figures and then written to confirm the matter as settled. Mr Edoh submitted that he only confirmed the matter as settled in the belief that HMRC had accepted his position with regards to the £19,400. HMRC submitted that the 7 PM-Tax | Issue 17 Wednesday 30 January 2013 Contents Back Next Our perspective on recent cases Pinsent Masons Substance South African Tourist Board v HMRC [2013] UKFTT 780 The receipt by a statutory body of funds from a government in order to carry out its statutory duties does not constitute an economic activity for VAT purposes. The South African Tourist Board (“SATB”) appealed against a decision by HMRC that it could not recover VAT incurred on supplies made to it because it did not carry out business activities. The SATB was a statutory body with a statutory duty to promote tourism in South Africa. It received income from the South African Government (and other entities) to be used in carrying out its duty. The FTT accepted that the undertaking of the SATB was serious and “earnestly pursued” in a “commercial and efficient manner” on “sound and recognised business principles”. The FTT, having considered the relevant case law extensively, also noted that “it is not necessary for the supplier to have a motive profit in order for the supply to be economic. But the activity must be analogous to one that could be done for a profit.” This was not the case for the SATB. When the SATB received funds from the South African Government, it was under a duty to use them for the purpose for which it was established, and it was obliged to refund the Government with any unused PM-Tax | Issue 17 Wednesday 30 January 2013 funds. It was impossible for the SATB to make a profit at the expense of the Government. The FTT emphasised the significant distinction between the circumstances of this appeal and the South African Government outsourcing the functions of the SATB to an independent third party who was free to make a profit or carry out other activities. The Tribunal concluded that the receipt of funds by a statutory body (the SATB) from a government (the South African Government) to carry out the statutory duties for which it was established (promote tourism) cannot be an economic activity. Therefore, the SATB could no be carrying on a business activity for VAT purposes. The FTT added that “the SATB did not act as a taxable person when receiving the government funding as its contract with the government read “more like a trust”. SATB was therefore not making a supply for consideration to the government and there was no “direct link” between the price and the services. The position was different in relation to incidental activities such as the sale of know-how by the SATB and joint marketing initiatives for which the SATB received consideration directly linked to a services provided. BGŻ Leasing sp. z o.o. v Dyrektor Izby Skarbowej w Warszawie C-224/11 • The supply of leasing services together with the supply of insurance services covering the leased items does not constitute a single composite supply for VAT purposes. • The supply of insurance services by an intermediary who is not the insurer but simply re-invoices insurance supplies made to him is exempt from VAT as a supply of insurance services. BGZ leased items to its clients and required the insurance of these items. Clients were free to purchase insurance from BGZ (which would provide insurance by subscribing to the corresponding insurance with an insurer and re-invoicing the cost of that insurance) or to subscribe for insurance directly with an insurer. The CJ-EU had to decide whether: (1) the supplies of leasing services and of insurance formed a single composite supply; and (2) the re-invoicing of insurance services fell within the scope of the VAT exemption applicable to insurance services. (1) The court noted that there is a link between the two supplies as insurance is only of use with respect to the item leased. However, the court also recognised that “any insurance transaction has, by Contents Back Next 8 Our perspective on recent cases Pinsent Masons Substance nature, a link with the items it covers.” The court reiterated the well established case law principle that a “service is regarded as ancillary to a principal service in particular where it does not constitute for the customers an aim in itself, but a means of better enjoying the principal service supplied.” The CJ-EU found that the insurance service constituted an end in itself for the lessee. The position was not changed by the fact that insurance was compulsory as the lessee was free to subscribe for insurance directly with an insurer. The same applied to the invoicing and pricing arrangements which were indicative of a single supply but not determinative in this case. The supply of insurance services was therefore a distinct and independent supply. (2) As for the re-invoicing of insurance services, the court noted that “the essentials of an insurance contract are, as generally understood, that the insurer undertakes, in return for prior payment of a premium, to provide the insured, in the event of materialisation of the risk covered, with the service agreed when the contract was concluded.” The court added that the expression “insurance transactions” is broad enough to cover the provision of insurance cover by a taxable person who is not himself an insurer. The court also pointed out that the principal of fiscal neutrality precludes treating similar services differently. The CJ-EU concluded that the provision of insurance services by way of re-invoicing falls within the VAT exemption for insurance. H S Tank & Sons Limited v HMRC [2013] UKFTT 005 The uncommercial nature of a transaction coupled with the known connection of a company director with an earlier VAT fraud is likely to lead a tribunal to conclude that the company knew it was entering into a transaction connected with MTIC fraud. H S Tank appealed a decision of HMRC to deny the right to deduct input VAT on the purchase of 17,500 iPods on the ground that the transaction was connected with MTIC fraud. H S Tank’s core business was the manufacture of garments but they had diversified into other areas such as electronics. In July 2006 H S Tank contracted with Fairford Partnership Limited (Fairford) to purchase the iPod Nanos – the price included VAT. A zero rated onward sale to a Spanish company (UMTS) was then agreed. The transaction formed part of a scheme intended to defraud HMRC, although there was no evidence that H S Tank was aware of the other traders. The Tribunal, applying the Kittell test had to decide whether HS Tank knew or should have known that, by their purchase, they were participating in a transaction connected with the fraudulent evasion of VAT. Having reviewed the way HS Tank had dealt with the purchases, the Tribunal concluded that HS Tank’s approach was not that of a reasonable business and that its directors must have been aware of the fraud. The Tribunal noted in particular that: • there was no evidence of negotiations on price between H S Tank and UMTS; • only a single quote had been obtained from insurance companies; • no checks of the iPod Nanos had been carried out by HS Tank prior to the purchase; • Fairford and UMTS shared the same bank as H S Tank; and • one of H S Tank’s directors had been connected with VAT fraud in an earlier transaction. . In the alternative, the Tribunal also found that if H S Tank did not know about the connection with fraud, the circumstances were such that they must have realised that the only explanation for the transaction was fraud. 9 PM-Tax | Issue 17 Wednesday 30 January 2013 Contents Back Next Events Pinsent Masons Forthcoming Seminar The Pinsent Masons Tax team will be hosting the seminar detailed below. To find out more or book a place, please contact Alistair McVan on 020 70542735 or [email protected] Employment Tax Planning – Disguised Remuneration The ‘Disguised Remuneration Rules’, introduced by the Finance Bill 2011, received widespread criticism for being too complex, and for leaving employers open to potential uncertainty. Over a year after the Rules were introduced, Matthew Rowbotham of Pinsent Masons Tax, takes stock. He discusses how the Rules work, their effect on share plans and EFRBS planning, as well as the wider implications of this type of legislation for businesses. Matthew will be joined by Matthew Findley, partner in our specialist Share Plans team. There will be ample time for questions at this event. Date: Tuesday 5th February Venue: Pinsent Masons, 30 Crown Place, London EC2A 4ES 10 PM-Tax | Issue 17 Wednesday 30 January 2013 Contents Back Next People People Pinsent Masons Tax Planning – Is there life after the GAAR? T he tax team hosted an evening seminar on 24 January to discuss the General Anti Abuse Rule (GAAR), which was well attended by tax directors and private wealth advisers. James Bullock chaired a panel of three experts: Emma Chamberlain, a barrister at Pump Court Tax Chambers specialising in tax and trust advice for private clients; Judith Freedman, Professor of Taxation Law and Director of Legal Research at Oxford University and Heather Self of Pinsent Masons. Each of the panellists outlined their response to the GAAR. Judith Freedman began by explaining some of the concerns she had with the way the draft legislation had developed from that originally proposed by Graham Aaronson’s report. Judith had been a member of the study group advising Graham Aaronson. She was concerned that the advisory panel, which was only supposed to have an advisory role, was becoming too important and she felt that it was a mistake to have removed HMRC representatives from the panel. Emma Chamberlain, who is to be a member of the interim GAAR advisory panel, highlighted some of the areas where the draft legislation did not work well for trusts and capital tax planning. She was concerned about how self assessment would work for capital taxes and how counteraction would work for inheritance tax schemes that had CGT consequences. Heather Self looked at the rules from the perspective of large corporates. She was concerned that the draft guidance should be expanded to cover some more good examples of arrangements that would not be caught by the GAAR and encouraged attendees to engage with HMRC as part of the consultation process to get as much clarity as possible on what would be covered. The presentation was followed by a discussion of points raised by attendees. Most discussions surrounded the issue of whether HMRC would deploy the GAAR before or after other legislation. A straw poll of attendees revealed that everyone was in favour of decisions of the advisory panel being published regularly and several delegates queried why only annual digests would be published. . Tell us what you think We welcome comments on the newsletter, and suggestions for future content. Please send any comments or suggestions to cathya.djanogly@pinsentmasons. com You can also use this email address if you have any queries. Combining the experience, resources and international reach of McGrigors and Pinsent Masons Pinsent Masons LLP, a limited liability partnership registered in England & Wales (registered number: OC333653) authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the appropriate regulatory body in the other jurisdictions in which it operates. The word ‘partner’, used in relation to the LLP, refers to a member of the LLP or an employee or consultant of the LLP or any affiliated firm of equivalent standing. A list of the members of the LLP, and of those non-members who are designated as partners, is displayed at the LLP’s registered office: 30 Crown Place, London EC2A 4ES, United Kingdom. We use ‘Pinsent Masons’ to refer to Pinsent Masons LLP and affiliated entities that practise under the name ‘Pinsent Masons’ or a name that incorporates those words. Reference to ‘Pinsent Masons’ is to Pinsent Masons LLP and/or one or more of those affiliated entities as the context requires. © Pinsent Masons LLP 2013. For a full list of our locations around the globe please visit our websites 11 www.pinsentmasons.com | www.Out-Law.com PM-Tax | Issue 17 Wednesday 30 January 2013 Contents Back Next