Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Spring 2020 #178Two schemes to avoid the payment of National Non-domestic Rates (NDR), by granting a short lease of unoccupied properties to special purpose vehicle companies (SPVs), which were then allowed to be dissolved, either by voluntary winding up or as dormant companies. Under the NDR legislation, the liability to pay rates on unoccupied property fell on the ‘owner’, being the person entitled to possession, which would include a lessee. However, properties owned by a company being wound up voluntarily were excluded under the applicable Regulations from being subject to NDR at all.
The cla...
When will an NNDR tax avoidance scheme be subject to a successful challenge? Nicholas Trompeter examines a case that sheds light on the points considered ‘The local authorities in Rossendale submitted that the notion of an “owner” of an unoccupied property had to be interpreted purposively as an owner with a real entitlement to possession.’ …
Continue reading "Tax: The limitations of Ramsay"
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Dean Monk examines the case of Rossendale, a Court of Appeal decision approving steps taken by property owners to mitigate their business rates liability ‘While the Supreme Court was unanimous on the “evasion” principle, it was divided on whether the principle could be expanded in the future. The billing authorities sought to exploit this by …
Continue reading "Business rates: Relief for the owners of empty properties"
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