HMRC prompts UK residents with a financial connection to India to disclosure under the WDF

Last month (August 2020), HMRC began issuing “nudge letters” to UK residents with potential tax liabilities on overseas income or gains, prompting them to make a disclosure under the Worldwide Disclosure Facility (WDF).

This latest batch of letters specifically targets UK residents with a financial connection to India, such as those that hold a high-yield rupee deposit account or a NRI fixed term deposit account. In most cases, UK residents are subject to UK taxation on their worldwide assets, including overseas bank interest.

Common Reporting Standard (CRS)

It is understood this latest wave of letters follow the receipt of financial information under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) from the Income Tax Department of India. The CRS is an international agreement involving the UK and over 100 countries including India. It allows for the exchange of information between jurisdictions about financial accounts and investments to help stop tax evasion.

Attached to the letters is a ‘Certificate of Tax Position’. This instructs individuals to sign a statement stating that either their tax affairs need to be brought up to date through the Worldwide Disclosure Facility (WDF), or they have correctly declared all their worldwide income and gains.

WORLDWIDE DISCLOSURE FACILITY (WDF)

UK residents are subject to UK tax on worldwide income and gains, including India. This is generally reported through an annual self assessment. Those that have failed declare may now need to do so under HMRC’s Worldwide Disclosure Facility (WDF).

The WDF, launched in 2016, allows those with undisclosed offshore money, gains, investments or assets to settle and regularise their tax affairs with HMRC, but unlike previous disclosure arrangements, no longer offers any favourable terms or lower penalties.

PENALTIES

WDF disclosure after 1 October 2018 are subject to the Requirement to Correct (RTC) sanctions which sets out minimum penalties to reflect HMRC’s toughening approach.

FTC penalties for a “prompted” disclosure is generally 200% of the unpaid tax, but can be negotiated down to 150% depending on the quality and accuracy of the disclosure. “Unprompted” disclosures can be reduced down to 100%, again depending on the quality and accuracy of the disclosure.

FTC will not necessarily apply to all years and there are complex rules for determining how many years may be assessed and the rates of penalty chargeable.

Moreover, HMRC have confirmed an inaccurate or incorrect disclosure may lead to a civil intervention or criminal prosecution. It is therefore important to appoint a qualified professional with the relevant experience in dealing with such cases. Jeffreys Henry LLP has significant experience in dealing with HMRC investigations and disclosures, including the current WDF (opened on 5 September 2016) and previous the Liechtenstein Disclosure Facility (closed in 31 December 2015).

The WDF will not be appropriate in every case and in more serious cases an alternative approach may need to be adopted.

Regardless of whether a disclosure is required or not, the consequence of making an incorrect Certificate of Tax Position declaration could be severe.

FURTHER ADVICE

For further advice in confidence, please contact Ian Leigh

, Parminder Chattha

or Bhimal Hira

on 0207 309 2222.