MPs have criticised HMRC’s response to the Covid-19 crisis, claiming some groups of taxpayers have been unfairly excluded from support packages, while the department’s strategy for property and IT systems has been shown to be wanting

Lower rates for entrepreneurs in green technology would help to inspire investment in the UK, creating jobs and export opportunities as part of the Green Recovery Plan, argues Blick Rothenberg’s David Hough

In a round-up of the major business tax stories of the year, we look at non-coronavirus tax news, including SME R&D tax relief cap, IR35 reporting delay, Making Tax Digital (MTD) timetable for corporation tax, carbon emissions review and digital services tax

In a round-up of the biggest personal tax stories of the year, we look at all the non-coronavirus news, including a potential wealth tax, CGT charges on second home sales, ‘deliberate’ errors, fall in IHT receipts, buy-to-let tax hikes and pension tax relief admin discrepancy

With reforms to the off payroll working regulations set to be introduced to the private sector in April next year, HMRC’s online tool for determining IR35 status has failed to produce a definite answer in almost one in five cases over the past year

In our regular Q&A series, Croner Taxwise, senior VAT consultant, Hilary Budd, explores how Brexit will affect digital service providers using VAT Mini One Stop Shop (VAT MOSS) to account for VAT on sales to EU consumers

Among the recent crop of tax policy announcements, HMRC is consulting on how the principles established for Making Tax Digital for quarterly online filing could be implemented for corporation tax

The OECD’s plans for reaching a consensus-based global approach to taxing digital services have been delayed, with no agreement now likely before mid-2021, despite analysis suggesting up to $100bn (£77bn) is at stake annually, an update on progress has revealed

Amazon paid £293m in tax in the UK in 2019, while its sales rose 26% to £13.73bn, up from £10.9bn the previous year, fuelling concerns about the taxation of digital companies

Online marketplace Amazon is to increase fees for UK sellers next month by 2%, in response to the introduction of the UK’s digital services tax (DST), in a move which is likely to increase costs for small businesses and traders who use the platform

The government is consulting on the scope of qualifying expenditures for R&D tax credits, focusing particularly on whether expenditures on data and cloud computing ought to qualify for relief

The Treasury is consulting on plans for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to regulate the promotion of certain types of cryptoassets for the first time, and to strengthen its role in approving financial promotions by unauthorised firms

The US has launched an investigation into digital services taxes (DSTs) that have been adopted or are being considered by a number of its trading partners, including the UK, on the grounds that they will unfairly penalise companies like Google and Amazon

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has fast-tracked plans to scrap VAT on e-books and e-newspapers, bringing the measures in seven months earlier than announced at the Budget, in a boost to readers and publishers during the coronavirus outbreak

The payment window for capital gains tax (CGT) on the sale of second homes and buy-to-let residential properties is being cut to 30 days