Tax avoidance using manufactured payments

[sidknows]

Finance Bill Measure : Tax avoidance using manufactured payments
The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Jane Kennedy): Recent disclosures to HM Revenue & Customs indicate that individuals are claiming relief against income tax for manufactured payments that are paid using tax avoidance schemes and that substantial sums of tax are at risk.

This is an extract -- any idea what this means ?

[dude69]

http://news.taxationweb.co.uk/index.php?id=514

[GwimWeeper]

Ex-ASMG

Nobody's written anything on this thread for awhile, so here goes. I was with ASMG for over 2 years. They were pretty good service-wise, and my research at the time of joining suggested that it was legit. I don't recall even having to sign a NDA.

I left then because I just wanted to try my hand at a bog-standard ltd company, after contracting for a few years with one umbrella then another.

Anyway, I received a letter from Hector a week ago now querying one of my tax returns from that year - specifically the tax avoidance mechanisms. Apparently I'm the subject of an 'enquiry'.

Anyone have any experience of this or similar with ASMG or any other company using similar operations?

[contractor79]

I almost went with ASMG, glad I didn't.

[ChimpMaster]

Grim, have you contacted ASMG to find out if they will be defending their case against HMRC?

Surely these avoidance schemes must have some confidence in their operations otherwise they would simply be scam artists, and hence liable to prosecution of sorts.

[GwimWeeper]

TazMan, I have been trying to get in touch with ASMG. I left about 1 year ago and my contact with them has been limited since then.

During that time, several of the people I used to interact with have left. I rang to talk to someone and have never gone beyond reception and a promise to have my call returned (which so far it has not).

This is not the same professional outfit I used to know and I'm convinced that something has happened at ASMG. Their website is down and they are not responding on the email addresses I normally used when I was with them.

My gist on this thread and the ASMG thread is to find other contractors who are or were with ASMG and find out what has happened at ASMG, and what is happening to their current and previous clients. I'm sure there must be many.

As a contractor I deal with many agencies and have often come across agencies who knew ASMG and were happy to work with them. I don't believe this was a simple con operation as some people seem to imply. Maybe an elaborate con, but in the absence of other information I don't think so yet.

More information needed.

[contractor79]

it seems rather wrong that the government can retrospectively do people on tax using their new rules if the people were following the rules at the time

[TykeMerc]

it seems rather wrong that the government can retrospectively do people on tax using their new rules if the people were following the rules at the time

That's the whole issue of BN66 in a nutshell, anyone who understands the actual implications of retrospective legislation finds the concept immoral and contrary to natural justice.

[GwimWeeper]

Hi all, I've just posted a reply on the ASMG forum following contact with someone at ASMG today. It was a bit of a relief I can tell you, even though I still reserve some scepticism.

Afterall, we all pretty much agree that retrospective legislation is immoral and represents an injustice. The trouble is justice and the law are not two sides of the same coin. If this goes down to the strict letter of the law, then justice (as we see it) will not be done.

Anyway, I'm still looking out for former or current ASMG clients to exchange notes with. Anyone...anyone....?