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03 January 2008
Issue: 7302 / Categories: Legal News , Tax , Procedure & practice , Commercial
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Teacake tales

Taxation

UK tax authorities breached EU law when they refused to refund £3.5m of VAT paid incorrectly by Marks & Spencer (M&S) over 20 years, according to a preliminary opinion from advocate general Juliane Kokott. Marks & Spencer plc v Revenue and Custom Commissioners concerned the legality of the UK’s three-year limitation period for recovering incorrectly paid VAT. A final judgment is expected from the European Court of Justice this year, and if it follows the opinion, says Andrew Loan, assistant solicitor at Macfarlanes, it could open the floodgates to claims for repayment of VAT incorrectly paid between 1973 and 2005.

Issue: 7302 / Categories: Legal News , Tax , Procedure & practice , Commercial
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Withers—Sophie Barrett-Brown

Withers—Sophie Barrett-Brown

Withers drives further growth in its UK immigration team with new partner Sophie Barrett-Brown

Venus Legal—Esther Amoako

Venus Legal—Esther Amoako

Venus Legal invests in next generation of legal talent as specialist litigation practice grows

Fisher Phillips—Catrina Smith

Fisher Phillips—Catrina Smith

Fisher Phillips continues momentum in London with arrival of Catrina Smith

NEWS
Restrictions on workplace non-disclosure agreements could make settlements slower, more complex and more expensive when reforms expected in 2027 take effect
Private prosecutors face closer scrutiny under Crown Prosecution Service guidance designed to strengthen accountability and consistency when intervention is requested
Foreign states cannot necessarily claim immunity for cyber operations launched abroad against computers in Britain, following a divided Supreme Court ruling
Defendants who make unsupported complaints about their lawyers risk losing legal aid while confiscation proceedings continue without representation
Lawyers advising Russian clients face different sanctions restrictions across the UK, EU and US, despite their shared objective of increasing pressure on Russia
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