Empowering you to plan and make confident decisions

The Court of Appeal’s decision in HMRC v Bolt Services UK Ltd is not just a private hire vehicle case. It is a reminder that the Tour Operators Margin Scheme is a narrow VAT exception, not a general margin scheme for businesses that buy in and resell travel-adjacent or accommodation-related services. For businesses that have applied TOMS outside a conventional travel agency or tour operator model, the decision should prompt a careful review of the historic position, current VAT treatment, and exposure to future HMRC enquiry.

HMRC’s proposed expansion of the Uncertain Tax Treatment regime represents a potentially significant shift in tax compliance expectations for large businesses, high-net-worth individuals and trustees.

HMRC’s latest publication of deliberate tax defaulters is a timely reminder that film industry tax relief claims remain firmly under scrutiny, particularly where post-production arrangements appear artificial or inflated. The publication highlights the seriousness of HMRC’s current enforcement activity in this area and underlines the importance of ensuring that claims are supported by genuine commercial arrangements, robust documentation and defensible costings.