Offshore Update – HMRC Clamp Down and Starbucks EU Tax Case

HMRC have recently purchased advertising pointing out that offshore income and gains may be taxable in the UK. This is true. In general, for UK domiciled residents, all worldwide income and gains are taxable (even where you reinvested the proceeds and did not remit them to the UK). For non-residents, UK source income may be taxable.

This is where it gets complicated (as if it was not before!). Like many other matters in the international tax world, circumstances can alter cases . Domicile, double tax treaties and all the new statutory residence test may all have an impact.

If you have offshore assets, review them now, before HMRC really clamp down next tax year. If in doubt, seek tax expert advice.

In an interesting twist to the European Question, the EU authorities have just issued a decision on the advance tax ruling given to Starbucks by the Dutch Revenue, helping Starbucks avoid tax in other jurisdictions. This was done by Starbucks having higher tax deductible costs with a lower tax rate in the Netherlands, thus meaning there was only immaterial profit in countries such as the UK, so minimal UK corporation tax. The EU Authorities feel this amounted to illegal State Aid, such that Starbucks should be enforced to repay it in full.

The political question is whether this is:

a) A good example to tax abuse by multinational corporations?

b) An unacceptable interference in Dutch sovereignty because tax is not supposed to be controlled at EU level?

Is that the smell of coffee or the protagonists’ lawyer preparing their morning shot of napalm?