Profile
Fiona is a tax specialist with extensive experience advising on various aspects of tax relating to businesses, including Corporation Tax, Capital Allowances, employee taxes, SDLT and VAT.
She is qualified as both a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Tax Advisor, having trained with one of the international firms of Chartered Accountants. Whilst in practice her clients were both listed and privately owned companies, and she spent two years seconded to a Government department where she advised ministers and senior civil servants on corporate tax.
This was followed by a move into industry, firstly as the Head of Tax of a FTSE 250 multinational manufacturing group with a large property portfolio, and then as Head of Tax at a FTSE 100 housebuilder.
At Andrew Jackson, Fiona provides tax advice to the Employment, Real Estate, Commercial Property and Corporate teams.
Fiona is a member of the General Anti-Abuse Rule (GAAR) Advisory Panel. This is an independent body consisting of nine tax practitioners which reviews HMRC’s anti-abuse guidance and delivers options on specific tax arrangements.
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News & Events
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Employment law update: Changes to termination payments
Changes to the way that termination payments are taxed came into force on 6 April 2018, so if you are already negotiating settlements you should be aware that any payments will fall under the new regime. Payments in Lieu of Notice (PILON) Previously, if an employee was paid in lieu …
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Why the nature of your holiday lettings business is important for tax purposes
The summer holidays may now only be a memory, but two recent cases show that the taxation of holiday accommodation is never far from HMRC's mind, says Fiona Phillips, partner In a Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) case, non-residential rates of SDLT were used in the purchase of …
MoreMixed-use SDLT decision marks success for the taxpayer
In March, the final Budget of the Conservative government announced the abolition of Multiple Dwellings Relief for Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). This came as no surprise, as HMRC had consulted on this issue and it was long expected. What was surprising, though, was that no change was made to …
MoreFarming partnerships: beware the higher rate Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) charge on additional dwellings
Stamp duty land tax (SDLT) can be a significant cost on property transactions – and an area that farming partnerships need to be aware of, says Andrew Jackson’s tax partner, Fiona Phillips It is well known that partnerships are treated for the purposes of income tax as tax transparent, with …
MoreCapital Gains Tax on proceeds never received from sale of care home
The Upper Tax Tribunal has recently confirmed the decision made by the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) in the case of McEnroe and Newman vs HMRC. The case highlights the need for careful drafting of Sale of Purchase agreements where the intention of all parties, and the economic reality of the …
MoreCan a dwelling be subject to non-residential rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax?
Recent cases brought by HMRC concerning SDLT ‘mixed use’ rates has again put the spotlight on this complex area, says Fiona Phillips The Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) arising on the purchase of a property is calculated using different rates and depends on whether the property is residential or non-…
More50th anniversary of VAT: a reason to celebrate?
VAT was introduced into the UK on 1 April 1973 and was described by then chancellor, Anthony Barber, as a "simple tax". Few would argue that over the past 50 years it has become more complex, not least when it comes to the taxation of property, land, and developments – an …
MoreNew tax year: some key changes affecting businesses
The new tax year is here, bringing with it changes that may impact your business. Tax Specialist and Partner in our Corporate team, Fiona Phillips' has produced a useful overview of some of the tax changes that have been announced or confirmed over the last few months. Company Share Option …
MoreOption to Tax – HMRC changes will increase risk on property transactions
These important changes will affect all those seeking to buy and sell property and came into effect yesterday. Here is the full update from Partner, Fiona Phillips: The VAT default position for the majority of commercial property sales is to treat them as exempt supplies, meaning the seller is unable …
MoreSDLT changes: the devil is in the detail
On 23 September, Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng made several headline -grabbing tax announcements. Among them was a permanent cut to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), meaning many buyers will pay no tax on the first £250,000.00 of their residential property price. It is worth noting that no tax changes …
MoreThe holiday's over: what now for Stamp Duty Land Tax?
From 1 October 2021, Stamp Duty Land Tax charged on residential properties returned to the rates, which were in force prior to the SDLT holiday introduced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 8 July 2020. Whilst many buyers raced to benefit from the temporary nil rate band of £500,…
MoreStamp Duty holiday: your questions answered
The housing market is currently enjoying a boom, as buyers rush to take advantage of the temporary Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) holiday, which was introduced as part of a range of measures designed to provide economic support through the Covid-19 pandemic. Until 31 March 2021, the normal rate …
MoreLegal Update: Stamp Duty Land Tax on Commercial Property
These uncertain economic times have prompted many businesses to consider the terms of their property leases. However, amendments to leases often have Stamp Duty Land Tax implications, as our specialist Fiona Phillips considers. Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is charged on consideration paid for an acquisition of land and property. …
MoreCapital Gains Tax changes on residential property from 6 April 2020
As previously reported, from 6 April 2020 a UK resident taxpayer who disposes of a residential property in the UK, which gives rise to a CGT charge, must report and pay the tax due within 30 days of completion of the sale. Here our tax specialist Fiona Phillips answers some …
MoreIR35 update: HMRC's private sector reforms delayed until April 2021
In last week's 2020 Budget, the government confirmed that the extension of IR35 reforms to the private sector would go ahead as planned next month. However, it has this week been confirmed that there will be a one-year delay to controversial changes to the off payroll working rules …
MoreTax update: Are consultants “disguised employees”?
If you are a consultant operating via a personal service company, or your business has contractors which you pay gross via a company, you should be considering the effect that upcoming changes, which will be brought in from 6 April 2020, will have on both reporting responsibilities and cash flow. …
MoreNew off-payroll tax rules will apply to the private sector from 2020: are you ready?
With just a few months until off-payroll working tax rules apply to the private sector, tax specialist Fiona Phillips looks at the detail of the government's recently unveiled draft legislation In March this year, the Government announced that the rules relating to off payroll working, which currently apply …
MoreNew case law helps to define meaning of residential property
What is a dwelling? This might seem like a question with an obvious answer, but whether a property is residential or non-residential could make a considerable difference to the amount of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) that a property attracts, as highlighted in the recent case of PN Bewley …
MoreAnother IR35 case lost by HMRC
Hot on the heels of the Lorraine Kelly case, which we reported on last month, the First-tier Tribunal has just published its findings in the case of Atholl House Production Ltd. The company provided the services of TV presenter Kaye Adams and HMRC argued that, had Ms Adams been …
MoreIR35 update: TV's Lorraine Kelly wins tax case against HMRC
The recent decision in the case of Albatel Limited vs HMRC is the latest in a long line of personal service company tax cases where HMRC has tried to apply the IR35 rules to determine the employment status of high profile presenters. Case background Albatel provided the services of TV …
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