Yesterday a team from GJ were at the ICAEW IT Faculty conference "Why Cloud? Why Now?"

At the event was Andre Kwakernaat from Twinfield giving a top notch presentation which included this video. The video gives Twinfield's view on how cloud computing can change the way financial functions operate. It is a good watch as well as being insightful.

When an overseas individual or company has decided to set up a business in England*, they will have considered location and logistics, suppliers, rental or purchase of office and production facilities, and a whole host of other practical operational issues. 

They will have considered such matters as whether to trade via a company or branch (although they may not know that the status of overseas individuals working in the UK can be ...

The media found a new target.  This time it was people whose tax bills are reduced as a consequence of totally legitimate and laudable behaviour. 

Let's deal with "laudable" first.  The country apparently approves of philanthropy.  There is widespread support for charitable causes, from the arts to medical research, from help for the aged to charities for kids, good causes command respect. 

The country ...

George Osborne has thrown down the gauntlet and he is going after anti-avoidance schemes like there is no tomorrow. He set the tone with a bold statement in his budget speech:

 "I regard tax evasion and indeed agressive tax avoidance as morally repugnant." 

Tax avoidance schemes ranging from those covering Stamp Duty Land Tax to Inheritance Tax have all been targeted. Even schemes that were previously exempt will require their promoters ...

One of the difficulties that Government have is to strike the three way balance between tax certainty, tax simplicity and tax fairness.  The recent headlines around Barclays Bank’s tax structuring brings this dilemma into focus.

The UK is seen as having a tax regime which is stable (i.e. certain) and businesses are treated fairly by the taxing authorities.  Despite this we have one of the, if not the, longest tax codes in the .. ...