Douglas advises on both direct and indirect taxes whether they be taxes on income, capital, turnover or otherwise. He is instructed by solicitors, chartered accountants and other professionals under Licensed Access. He is also able to accept Instructions under the Direct Access scheme.
The changing tax landscape and HMRC’s focus on tax avoidance has meant that his practice deals primarily with disputed transactions which are already under investigation and where litigation is probable although not inevitable. He prefers a pragmatic approach and favours mediation to litigation where appropriate.
Areas in which he has expertise include:
- Minimising tax liabilities by the use of appropriate corporate and trust arrangements
- Planning for the tax consequences of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union
- Rationalising outdated complex arrangements
- Simplifying decision-making
- The construction and interpretation of double taxation conventions
- Tax-effective document drafting
- Transfer pricing enquiries
- Effective handling of disputes with and between Revenue authorities
- Management and control of offshore vehicles (tax residence)
- Investment in UK property by non-residents and in non-UK property
- The limits of acceptable tax planning
- International asset protection
- Exploitation of intellectual property rights
- Residence and domicile issues under the more tightly defined regime
- The Common Reporting Standard and information gathering and exchange by Revenue authorities
- Disclosures by third parties e.g. the Panama Papers and the Paradise Papers and how to manage them.