The boundaries of acceptable tax planning

The tax landscape and society has shifted significantly – since 2008 in particular – in its attitude towards where tax avoidance sits on the moral barometer between legitimate planning and dodgy. Where are the dividing lines (see Grading Tax Behaviours)? We would like to think we can recognise through the elephant test what is acceptable. ‘Avoidance’ has always been the ambiguous one with varying degrees of acceptability and latterly has shifted much more towards being a dirty word. If you had to explain to your mother what tax advice you gave to your clients today could you maintain eye contact avoid fidgeting or quickly moving to asking how the cat is?

As well as considering the right side of the lines as part of my client advisory work I deliver awareness training to my firm on the same. We deliver tax...