London Partner Quoted in ‘The Times’ Following MPs’ Demand for Action against Advisers Facilitating Tax Evasion

London Tax Partner Kate Ison was quoted July 23 by The Times (paywalled) in response to Dame Margaret Hodge (former Labour minister and ex-chairwoman of the Commons public accounts committee) who has called for a crackdown on accountants and lawyers who allegedly facilitate unlawful behavior by their wealthy clients. In a paper produced by a cross-party parliamentary group on anti-corruption and responsible tax, MPs called for simple legislative changes to allow the enablers of aggressive tax avoidance to be more easily prosecuted.  

Ison said lawyers should “welcome efforts to change the behaviour of the very small minority of advisers and promoters who market and enable aggressive and abusive schemes, which fall clearly outside the spirit of the law.” She believes the MPs’ proposals, however, will do little to improve HMRC’s record for bringing investigations and prosecutions of offences under the Criminal Finances Act. Ison said the lack of prosecutions brought by the taxman and the Crown Prosecution Service “are far more likely to result from a severe lack of resource than a lack of powers.”