The Scottish parliament should be given responsibility for setting VAT rates post-Brexit as existing legal obstacles to VAT devolution will no long apply, according to Reform Scotland, an independent, non-party think tank, which says Scotland needs to widen its tax base

For the first time in two years, worries about Brexit are not top of the list of risks facing UK corporates, with CFOs more concerned about weak UK growth, according to research by Deloitte

With a year to go until Brexit begins, three quarters of UK mid-sized businesses say no clearer picture is emerging of the future UK/EU relationship and almost a third have put investment plans on hold in response, according to research by BDO

Businesses are failing to prepare for the impact exit from the EU will have on their tax affairs, according to research by BDO which found that 65% of UK companies lack a formal VAT strategy, leaving many looking for professional help in determining the best approach going forward

Iain Donaldson, partner at Hill Dickinson, considers the barriers to frictionless trade under a post-Brexit VAT regime facing hard or soft borders

HMRC has announced it is to begin a phased launch of its new post-Brexit customs declaration service (CDS) in August 2018, with the aim of all declarations taking place on CDS from early 2019

The government has already spent £400m on Brexit preparations and the final bill for getting ready for leaving the EU could top £2bn, according to research from the think tank the Institute for Government (IfG)

The UK’s exit from the EU should be the trigger for a first-principles discussion of tax policy making, encouraging a much broader debate about how or whether the tax system can meet society’s needs, according to a report from think tank Common Vision (CoVi), which has been backed by CIOT

The Joint Forum on Actuarial Regulation (JFAR) is warning that poorly funded defined benefit pension schemes, the aging demographic and rising mortality rates, and post-Brexit regulatory concerns are key risks actuaries need to take into account when assessing risk probabilities

The government has been too slow to allocate skills and resources for Brexit according to an assessment by the public accounts committee (PAC), which also calls for greater transparency over the costs of delivery

Downing Street has issued a statement saying that Britain will ‘categorically’ leave the customs union after Brexit, as prime minister Theresa May and secretary of state for exiting the European Union David Davis prepare to meet chief EU negotiator Michael Barnier today

HMRC needs to reform its current plan on how to deliver the ongoing 250 projects in its portfolio after the tax authority is expected to add another 50 to its workload due to Brexit, says Bill Dodwell, partner and head of tax policy at Deloitte

With the deadline for exiting the EU now just over a year away, the government has sought to reassure businesses about the UK’s ambitions for an implementation period following Brexit, in order to ensure an orderly departure

The number of UK CEOs expecting the global economy to improve over the coming year has more than doubled, according to a PwC survey published at the World Economic Forum in Davos

VAT is a European construct so post-Brexit any government could have the freedom to reform this hugely complex and irrational VAT rating system, argues David Whiscombe CTA, partner at BKL