Lawyers call for group action against tax avoidance advisers

clock

Lawyers are urging investors who have been advised to invest in disputed tax avoidance schemes to take their financial advisers to court for compensation.

A number of legal experts called on investors to pool together and launch US-style class action law suits against their advisers, who they said, had failed to advise their clients of the risks of investing in such schemes. HMRC started to clamp down aggressively on schemes it deemed to have been designed specifically to avoid tax in the last year. New powers allowed it to demand upfront payment of disputed tax from investors, which cannot be appealed against, meaning investors targeted by the tax office were put under pressure to find large sums of money quickly. Lawyers told the F...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Tax Planning

HMRC consults on extending UTT regime 'targeting' wealthy individuals

HMRC consults on extending UTT regime 'targeting' wealthy individuals

To cover stamp duty, National Insurance, IHT and CGT

Isabel Baxter
clock 13 May 2026 • 2 min read
Probate cases taking nearly two years rise by 131%

Probate cases taking nearly two years rise by 131%

Increased risk of interest accruing on IHT

Jaskeet Briah
clock 07 April 2026 • 2 min read
Government confirms standalone death-in-service benefits exempt from IHT changes

Government confirms standalone death-in-service benefits exempt from IHT changes

'The draft clause was nonsensical'

Jaskeet Briah
clock 17 March 2026 • 3 min read