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Tax Alert

Criminal Finances Act

As you know on 30 September 2017, the UK Criminal Finances Act came into force (the CFA), along with its newly-focused corporate criminal offences of failure to prevent facilitation of tax evasion.

UK – Facilitation of tax evasion

The new criminal offence is intended to stop businesses ignoring activities of their staff and other representatives. The Act became effective on 30 September 2017.

In order for it to be deemed a criminal offence, the facilitator of tax evasion must have criminal intent. Businesses can have a defence if they put in place reasonable prevention procedures.