HomeFWJ TakeawayTax disputesDisguised remuneration and APNsChanges to disguised remuneration legislation

The tax treatment of disguised remuneration tax schemes is constantly being revised and reinterpreted by legislation published on an almost annual basis via the annual Finance Acts.

Not all tax schemes are designed to avoid tax or disguise remuneration, but there is of course a common perception that they are all aimed at tax avoidance rather than as part of a tax planning strategy.

The Finance Act 2017 and the Finance Act (Number 2) 2017 import further amendments to the income tax legislation and seek to impose penalties on beneficiaries of schemes or redefine how such tax schemes are interpreted for the purpose of determining whether they constitute disguised remuneration tax schemes.

The most important effect of these changes is that personal liability for the loan charge of 50% has been imposed as an Accelerated Payment Notice from April 2019.


At Francis Wilks & Jones we have considerable experience of tax legislation and defending claims by HMRC or liquidators appointed over companies which face such difficulties and we can assist you with any negotiations with HMRC, including accelerated payment notices, any disguised remuneration scheme issues, personal liability notices, VAT security or any other claim by HMRC, including appeals to tax tribunals or insolvency claims.

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