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HMRC has updated its guidance with information to explain how to complete a VAT return if postponed import VAT statements cannot be downloaded.

The OECD secretary-general has published his report to the February 2021 meeting of G20 leaders in Italy, covering international tax developments including the digital economy, response to COVID-19, the activities and achievements of the Global Forum on Transparency, and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has issued a new report in which it calls on countries to increase their efforts to better deter, detect and disrupt the activities of professionals who enable tax evasion and other financial crimes. The report, titled Ending the Shell Game: Cracking down on the Professionals who enable Tax and White Collar Crimes, explores the different strategies that countries can take against those professional service providers which play a large part in the planning and pursuit of criminal activity, referred to in the report as ‘professional enablers’. The OECD noted that ‘the majority of professional service providers are law-abiding, and play an important role in assisting businesses and individuals understand and comply with the law’. However, it is hoped that this new report will assist countries in dealing with ‘the small subset that use their specialised skills and knowledge to enable clients to defraud the government and evade their tax obligations’. The report will be presented at the virtual OECD Global Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum on 24 March 2021 at 4.45 pm.

The Finance Bill will be published on 11 March 2021. A full copy of the Budget resolutions will be made available after the Chancellor’s Budget statement on 3 March 2021.

The government has published its response to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Finance Bill Sub-Committee report on whether new powers for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are fair and proportionate. The letter sets out the government’s agreement with six out of the nine recommendations made by the Sub-Committee in the report. The response also takes into consideration the recently published HMRC report on the ‘implementation of powers, obligations and safeguards introduced since 2012’.

HMRC has updated the list of Notices made under the

The Scottish Rates of Income Tax (Consequential Amendments) Order 2021, SI 2021/190, amends section 7(5A)(c) of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2005, to ensure that Scottish taxpayers who receive a social security pension lump sum are taxed at the highest Scottish rate that would be applicable for a tax year if income tax were charged at Scottish rates on their income including savings and dividend income.

The regulations amend regulations 2 and 3 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (Coronavirus, Calculation of a Week’s Pay) Regulations, SI 2020/814 following the extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) to 30 April 2021.

HMRC has announced that the new protocol amending the 2015 Sweden/UK Double Taxation Convention for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital gains, was signed on 23 February 2021.

The CIOT has shared an update from HMRC on VAT registration delays.

HMRC has published revised advisory fuel rates for company cars which apply from 1 March 2021.

HMRC has announced that the online portal for the VAT deferral new payment scheme is now open for businesses which deferred VAT payments last year.

The Prime Minister’s Office has updated its document collection for the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), and associated agreements reached between the EU and UK at the end of the Brexit transition period. The newly added documents include an exchange of correspondence confirming the UK’s agreement to the EU’s proposed two-month extension to the provisional application of the TCA, pending ratification in the European Parliament. As interim co-chair of the Partnership Council under the TCA, Michael Gove signalled the UK’s agreement to the draft decision proposed by the European Commission, extending provisional application from 28 February to 30 April 2021. However, his response also noted the government’s expectation that there would be no further extensions beyond 30 April 2021, particularly in light of the ‘uncertainty’ that continued provisional application would create. Gove also noted the government’s view that, aside from adopting the decision to extend provisional application via written procedure, the Partnership Council and other institutional arrangements established under the TCA should not commence formally until the agreement is fully in force. Gove will be replaced as co-chair of the TCA Partnership Council and Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee in March 2021. Until then, work continues in the Joint Committee to resolve pressing issues outstanding in the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement.

The OECD and the inclusive framework on BEPS have approved a new process for the BEPS Action 5 peer review of the transparency framework for the years 2021 to 2025 in order to maintain and improve transparency on tax rulings.

HMRC has published new guidance for businesses to find withdrawn VAT Notices to check the rules for transactions that took place on or before 31 December 2020.

In the ever-fast-moving world of tax announcements and developments, this news pulls together some of the key changes announced this week. Our commentary will be updated in due course to reflect these latest developments.

22 February 2021 - This roundup sets out the most important changes to HMRC manuals over the past week as curated by our editors.

HMRC has published the latest version of its employer guides for benefits in kind (CWG5) and PAYE and National Insurance contributions (CWG2) to be used from 6 April 2021.

HMRC has updated its Double Taxation Treaty guidance to include the ‘synthesised’ text of the UK’s 2007 DTT with Saudi-Arabia, as modified by the BEPS multilateral instrument (MLI).

HMRC has announced that self-assessment taxpayers will not be charged a 5% late payment penalty if they pay their tax or set up a payment plan by 1 April 2021.