BN66 - Round 2 (Court of Appeal)

[Leyther70]

Emigre,

thanks, thats what I was hoping, I already have a small CTD but it doesnt sit too well with me to deposit my cash with hector.

Regards

Leyther

[normalbloke]

Another letter to the PM..

Had no reply from the PM's office to my original letter (David Cameron is my local MP). Just fired off the follow up. I know he's a busy man, but I would have thought he has a veritable army of lackeys to help him with the mail nowadays; even just an acknowledgement would have been nice.

[DonkeyRhubarb]

Had no reply from the PM's office to my original letter (David Cameron is my local MP). Just fired off the follow up. I know he's a busy man, but I would have thought he has a veritable army of lackeys to help him with the mail nowadays; even just an acknowledgement would have been nice.

The Government don't seem to want to respond to this.

One guy wrote to his local MP Mark Hoban, who is Timms' successor as Financial Secretary, and got back some irrelevant guff about IR35!!!

So far, no-one has had anything in writing from a Minister.

[slogger]

The Government don't seem to want to respond to this.

One guy wrote to his local MP Mark Hoban, who is Timms' successor as Financial Secretary, and got back some irrelevant guff about IR35!!!

So far, no-one has had anything in writing from a Minister.

My mp (mark prisk) is minister for small business!
No response from two letters I've sent. Interestingly he's in the local paper this week - after a small business he can work with to see what issues they're facing, happy to let him work with me and see what we have to face from hmrc & the government. :-)

[Toocan]

Had no reply from the PM's office to my original letter (David Cameron is my local MP).

It is indeed very strange. We know that they have a standard letter reply but for some reason they have sent it to very few people. It almost appears as if someone jumped the gun. This whole ordeal has been full of unexplained half-efforts.

For example, (Listening Hector?) HMRC claim that the scheme didn’t work even without section 58. Let’s assume that’s true: if they repealed it we’d all get to the tax courts about five years quicker – and if we were due money, then HMRC would get it quicker AND would have more chance of collecting.

As an added bonus, if they repealed then HMRC could potentially use retrospection in the future – if they carry on with this then there is a better than even chance that they will lose that ability.

It would appear that EVERYONE would be better off if they repealed section 58 now.

Action this day.

[BarneyCool]

Reply from 2nd letter

The Government don't seem to want to respond to this.

One guy wrote to his local MP Mark Hoban, who is Timms' successor as Financial Secretary, and got back some irrelevant guff about IR35!!!

So far, no-one has had anything in writing from a Minister.

Well I've had a reply to the 2nd letter and I can confirm that I got no response to the original snail mail. In fact they said they never received it. But the email approach via WriteToThem - Email or fax your Councillor, MP, MEP, MSP or Welsh, NI, London Assembly Member for free has prompted a much faster response and guaranteed delivery. Even if the content is next to useless.

Dear mr blah

Thank you for your email. I can confirm that the reply you have received is from the minister.

[Lazylobster]

Got a reply to my second letter yesterday from my MP. He's advised that he will write to George Osbourne and will respond when he has received a reply.

LL

[DonkeyRhubarb]

Dear mr blah

Thank you for your email. I can confirm that the reply you have received is from the minister.

Just to be clear.

You received the "standard reply" from your MP?

And now they are claiming this came from "the minister", although they don't even say which Minister?

Marvelous!!!

[TheBarCapBoyz]

Letter from Nicholas Soames, Cons. Mid Sussex

One of the gang received the following letter, reproduced in its entireity as it's quite a good reply.

-------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Boyz

Thank you for your letter dated May 28th about the retrospective nature of Section 58 of the Finance Act 2008.

I share your anxiety over retrospection in law and sympathise with your concerns. The approach of the last Government
enhanced the impression that it was presiding over an uncertain and unstable tax system, which was bad for the UK
economy as a whole as well as deeply confusing to individual taxpayers.

As you know, in the Finance Act 2008, the last Government introduced legislation aimed at clarifying a provision of the
Finance Act 1987 prohibiting the use of the UK-Jersey double taxation treaty to exempt the taxation a UK member's share of a
foreign partnership income. It was the opinion of my Party that this legislation ought to apply prospectively and a question
of whether earlier Acts prohibited these practices was an issue for the courts. We tabled such an amendment in the HOuse
of Commons but were defeated.

The key problem seems to be that the last Government was aware of this scheme for some years, yet made no move to close
the loophole. This served to create a legitimate expectation amongst taxpayers the the practice would be tolerated
by the Government, and so people arranged their tax affairs accordingly.

We share the last Govermnent's concern about the issue it tried to address, but believe it should have sent a clear
and unambiguous signal to taxpayers at a much earlier stage, rather than standing back and creating the impression that
it would tolerate the arrangement - and then act retrospectively.

I am afraid that with the public finances in the state they are, we are unable to make a firm promise to reverse this
legislation, but we have put forward a number of proposals to ensure that the making of tax law is improved significantly
in the future, so that such situations do not arise again.

I know that Treasury Ministers are aware of the strength of feeling on this issue as they work on the detail of an
emergency Budget scheduled for 22nd June 2010, and I am currently in touch with the Exchequer Secretary following
representations I have received from a number of constituents on this issue. I will of course ensure that you are
sent a copy of the reply I receive.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Your sincerely
Nicholas Soames

[DonkeyRhubarb]

One of the gang received the following letter, reproduced in its entireity as it's quite a good reply.

-------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Boyz

...

and I am currently in touch with the Exchequer Secretary following representations I have received from a number of constituents on this issue. I will of course ensure that you are
sent a copy of the reply I receive.

This is pretty much the "standard template", except for the bit above.