Commerciality – combined businesses and smoke screen
Recently HMRC has paid a lot of attention to the sideways offset of losses (ITA 2007 s 64 and s 72) and, in so doing, the question of commerciality is raised. Particular attention has been [...]
New Windows for your PC – I can see clearly now!
Microsoft recently launched Windows 8 - This release has been met with a fairly intense response either positive or negative. Should you upgrade?
IHT & Joint bank accounts – Matthews v HMRC [2012] UK FTT 658
This is another case about the correct IHT treatment of the interest of a deceased person in a joint bank account on death and whether there may be a gift with reservation of benefit (GROB).
Offshore pensions – QROPs and other anachronisms
Do you know what has happened in the world of offshore pensions recently? The most recent ‘target’ of HMRC’s attention has been the island of Guernsey, which had forged a lucrative market in [...]
What type of growth do we want?
After 16 years of unbroken economic growth, the economy came off the rails in 2008 and has remained frozen since then. Most law firms are saying that they cannot really see their income growing [...]
Capacity – Williams v Wilmot [2012] EWHC 2211 (Ch)
Where there is a question over testamentary capacity, the starting point is the Banks v Goodfellow test. As this case shows the quality of medical reports is very important in assessing such [...]
Construction of Wills – Re Bose Trusts [2012] EWHC 858 (Ch)
This case looks at the meaning to be given to words written by the Testator himself in a homemade Will. Do they give rise to a trust over income or merely a power?
