Danielle Ford, Head of Tax Disputes, and Riocard Hoye, Senior Manager, contributed an article to Accountancy Daily on careless penalties, in light of Nadhim Zahawi’s recent tax affairs.

In January 2023, Mr Zahawi reached a settlement with HMRC in respect of undeclared Capital Gains Tax relating to disposals of shares in YouGov, the polling company which he co-founded in May 2000. The settlement amount is unknown but is believed to be in the region of £5m including a 30% penalty. It also led to him losing his job as the Conservative Party Chair.

Danielle and Riocard provided an analysis on Mr Zahawi’s case. Their analysis highlights that expert advice should be sought with careless penalties, as these can often be mitigated and even suspended.

In their Accountancy Daily article, Danielle and Riocard deep dive into HMRC’s position on careless penalties, why careless penalties are unique in having suspension conditions, and whether Mr Zahawi could still have his job as Conservative Party Chair if his penalty was mitigated.

Read Danielle and Riocard’s insights in more detail in the full Accountancy Daily article here (subscription needed).

If you have any kind of dispute with HMRC then please contact Danielle or Riocard. Our team have a proven track record in representing our clients in tax disputes with HMRC to reach the best possible outcome for them.