Coutts Private Office director departs

CityWire: Coutts Private Office executive director James Biggart has left the bank.   Biggart joined the private office team at Coutts in 2011 and was responsible for ultra-high net worth clients and family businesses.

Full story: http://citywire.co.uk/wealth-manager/news/coutts-private-office-director-departs/a858885?ref=wealth-manager-new-latest-news-test1-list

EY has appointed Katherine Bullock to lead its UK and Ireland private client services practice outside of London

ICAEW: The team offers tax planning and compliance advice to individuals and their businesses, as well as cross-border services.  Bullock said the practice has "great plans for helping our clients really maximise the UKs economic upturn, working across our worldwide network with our global colleagues to support those with international interests." Bullock previously headed PwC's client team and has over 25 years' experience.

Full story: http://economia.icaew.com/news/november-2015/ey-hires-regional-leader-of-uk-private-client-services

UK Autumn Statement may target tax reliefs

STEP: The Chancellor's Autumn Statement will appear on Wednesday 25 November. Most tax specialists predict it will be harsher than previously expected, for two reasons. First, the Chancellor has failed to push through legislation cutting tax credits for the low-paid, so that the public sector borrowing requirement will be larger than planned at the time that Finance Bill (no.2) 2015 was drafted. Second, that Finance Bill also contained a measure precluding increases in the rates of the three main taxes – income tax, national insurance contributions and value-added tax – for this parliament. This means the public sector borrowing requirement (PSBR) deficit cannot be reduced by adjusting these rates.

Full story: http://www.step.org/news/uk-autumn-statement-may-target-tax-reliefs

City minnow Welbeck Solutions named as Britain’s biggest seller of tax avoidance products

Evening Standard: A little-known City firm has been exposed as Britain’s biggest seller of tax avoidance products.

Full story: http://www.standard.co.uk/business/city-minnow-welbeck-solutions-named-as-britain-s-biggest-seller-of-tax-avoidance-products-a3121021.html

UK non-dom changes unfair, unreasonable, disproportionate

International Adviser: Plans that would effectively end the UK’s non-domicile status for tax purposes have the potential to do more harm than good and could be contrary to EU law, according to the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Full story: http://www.international-adviser.com/news/1026036/uk-dom-changes-unfair-unreasonable-disproportionate

Autumn Statement: tax avoidance and business top agenda

Accountancy Live: Wednesday sees the Chancellor deliver a combined autumn statement and spending review, following on from two Budgets earlier in the year, with predictions suggesting a focus on tax avoidance, pensions and business taxes, and warnings against making the tax system unnecessarily complex and hitting businesses too hard, reports Pat Sweet.

Full story: https://www.accountancylive.com/autumn-statement-tax-avoidance-and-business-top-agenda