HMRC was spared any large scale spending cuts in last week’s Review, but the department is expected to make efficiency savings of 25% through enhanced use of new technology.
The European Commission wants to impose a levy on banks to cope with future financial crises, but the UK wants to hang on to the money it raises for itself.
The United Kingdom and the United States rank fifth and sixth, respectively, among tax-friendly countries, according to KPMG’s recently released Competitive Alternatives 2010, Special Report: Focus on Tax.
Tax is firmly on the 2010 election agenda, with the emergence of clear differences between the parties according to John Whiting, the tax policy director at the Chartered Institute of Taxation.
"If Mr Cable had his way, all the big banks would be broken up and bonuses would be virtually eliminated - a sure-fire way in my view of guaranteeing an end to the UK’s ability to compete as an international financial centre. Let’s not forget that this is a man who is on record as saying that everyone who works in a bank has an ‘aristocratic lifestyle’ clearly demonstrating his lack of understanding of the sector." A tough line on bankers’ bonuses could make a brain drain of financial talent a distinct possibility, warns Paul Marsden. Read more