PBR 09: Banks already planning to duck bonus tax
Banks are already looking to circumvent new tax on staff bonuses
Banks are already looking to circumvent new tax on staff bonuses
New banking bonus clampdowns will hit the attractiveness of the UK as a place for financial services, and banks were already planning to duck the tax.
The introduction of a 50% tax on bankers’ bonuses – to be paid by the banks – could put the UK at a competitive disadvantage, said A&M Taxand managing director Ian Fleming.
“Neither France or Germany have implemented anything similar so it puts our industry at a competitive disadvantage.”
He warned that banks were already looking at tax planning around the new requirements – and it would be hard to draft legislation to stop the shift.
“How do you define ‘banks’, or ‘bonuses’?”
Employers’ status and their contracts would be looked at by banks, potentially shifting bonuses into salaries, he added.
Further reading:
PBR 09: Bankers hit with one-off 50% bonus levy