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04.11.2015

Rangers lose at home.

Rangers lose their latest appeal on the improper use of EBTs. I can not imagine it was a shock result. HMRC are never happier than when challenging EBTs, given the extent of their abuse prior to the introduction of specific anti-avoidance legislation.

EBTs do still have a genuine commercial role to play if used for the purpose for which the law intended.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has won a ruling that Rangers' use of Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs) was illegal.Rangers used the scheme from 2001 until 2010 to give millions of pounds of tax-free loans to players and other staff.In what became known as the "big tax case", HMRC claimed these were salary payments and subject to tax.HMRC lost its appeals at tax tribunals in 2012 and 2014. Now three judges at the Court of Session in Edinburgh have upheld their appeal.”