HM Ingss & Customs has issued its first tax evasion stop notices to an individual, Paul Baxendale-Walker, a platform and former lawyer, to stop promoting two schemes considered abusive and artificial by the tax authority.
In a historical movement, HMRC confirmed that stop warnings mark the first time the orders are issued to an individual instead of a company, underlining the government’s intention to review tax evasion independently or how the schemes are structured.
The two agreements, promoted by Mr. Baxendale-Walker, involve trustworthy trusts and complex structures designed to allow users to access their funds while avoiding taxes. HMRC has evaluated thesis as schemes without a genuine commercial purpose, aimed only to exploit tax lagoons.
Jonathan Smith, director of Evasion to counteract HMRC, said: “The courts have already concluded that Mr. Baxendale-Walker designed and sold multiple tax evasion schemes that do not work as stated. These detention warnings in the messages of shooting fiscal avoidance.”
The notices were issued under the strengthened anti-evasive framework of the government, which is part of a broader strategy to close the fiscal gap and protect the financing of vital public services.
Fiscal evasion stop notices are formal legal orders that require the recipient to immediately cease the promotion of specific schemes. Failure can lead to significant financial sanctions or simply criminal prosecution.
Mr. Baxendale-Walker, who has previously determined the issue of legal actions and application procedures related to fiscal avoidance, is now prohibited to commercialization or facilitating the thesis two specific schemes.
The schemes in question have now been added to the list of HMRC tax evasion agreements subject to detention notices, which is available for the public on Gov.uk.
HMRC is asking public and professionals to denounce any continuous promotion of these schemes. Any person who aware of Mr. Baxendale-Walker who continues to market them is urged to communicate with the department through their website.
People who believe they may have used a tax evasion scheme, either promoted by baxendale-walker or others, are advised to communicate with HMRC immediately when sending an email: cagehelpoutoftoxavaidance@hmrc.gov.ukuk
This movement repeats a significant step in the continuous effort of the government to combat aggressive tax planning and signals that individual promoters, not only companies, are now firmly in HMRC places.
Paul Jones
Harvard Alumni and former New York Times journalist. Business Matters editor for about 15 years, the largest commercial magazine of the UKs. I am also head of the Automotive Capital Division Business Media who works for clients such as Red Bull Racing, Honda, Aston Martin and Infiniti.
