Monthly Archives: December 2018

It’s beginning to look a lot like Crypto…

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Christopher Wilsher

HMRC has released the long awaited guidance on how cryptoassets will be taxed on individuals.There are very few surprises in the paper, although there are plenty of caveats made such that HMRC may amend its approach if there are unexpected consequences.There are interesting points to read on forks and mining.  Further, it is good to see that HMRC will allow for the pooling of each asset such that very large latent gains can be watered down somewhat by subsequent purchases.The key take home message is that as the UK has a self assessment regime it is for the taxpayer to keep separate records for each cryptoasset transaction.

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The “Good Work Plan” heralds a new round of employment law reform for employers

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Alice Heathfield

A new round of employment law reform is upon us. In an attempt to improve the rights of zero hour, agency and Gig Economy workers (previously identified by Theresa May as “just about managing”), the Government is set to implement …

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Are robots writing your will?

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Christopher Wilsher

Law firm VWV conducted a poll which found that the majority of people asked are wary about the use of artificial intelligence in the preparation of wills, with almost a third of respondents saying that they would not want any artificial involvement at all.It must be said that, as with many stories, the devil is in the detail. The concept of ‘artificial intelligence’ is one which evokes fantasies of sentient robots when, in all likelihood, the AI being adopted by law firms likely amounts to software which automatically imports information from client identification documents and populates a ready-made template. Hardly Arnold Schwarzenegger.However, the underlying sentiment behind the story is one which should chime with all solicitors and will drafters. Whether or not a law firm uses modern technology as an aid to its business, all lawyers should ensure that the client experience is one of the most important priorities. Clients value a trusted adviser who can listen to their needs, process what they have learned and work with the client to provide a service that is in-line with the their original needs and expectations.Here at Collyer Bristow we offer a wider range of services relating to wills and estate planning: from succession planning for nuclear families, to cross-border HNW and UHNW non-domiciliaries. In 2018 we launched our news offering CB Entrust – a fixed price expert approach to writing one of the most significant documents of clients’ lives. As a firm we push for a holistic understanding of clients’ unique requirements and circumstances. CB Entrust assists clients in understanding the intricacies of their lives and ensuring that they are documented and managed in the manner they envisage. An in-depth consultation with a specialist lawyer as opposed to completing a DIY will form gives clients peace of mind knowing that they have had expert advice on inheritance and taxation planning.

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Whenever, Wherever… no Shakira, you need to keep track.

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Christopher Wilsher

“Lucky that I love a foreign land for, the lucky fact of your existence”.  Unfortunately despite the very catchy lyrics of Shakira’s 2001 hit, the Spanish Revenue are arguing that she did not in fact love a foreign land enough, and she was in fact resident in Barcelona rather than in the Bahamas, as claimed.”I ain’t guilty it’s a musical transaction”.  Being resident in Spain has similar consequences to being resident in the UK in that (unless you are able to benefit from the remittance basis of taxation) you are subject to tax on your worldwide income, hence why the Spanish Revenue are claiming Shakira owes them £13 million in taxes.Rather than being a “Beautiful Liar” (I promise no more Shakira lyrics) it may be the case that Shakira misunderstood the residency rules in Spain, or miscounted her days.  The UK laws on residency are fairly clear cut, but unless you are automatically resident ensuring residency (or not) relies on counting days in the country, and for international pop stars who travel a lot for work, it can be difficult to keep track of how many days have been spent where.As the article mentions, this is only one of a number of high profile tax cases in Spain in recent times, which should hopefully serve as a lesson to all of us (not just footballers and popstars) to constantly review our arrangements to ensure compliance with relevant laws.

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