International Tax Handbook - ITH1

Introduction: purpose of International Tax Handbook

The purpose of this book is to provide Inspectors of Taxes in the network with a basic understanding of the problems posed by international tax planning. Familiarity with the complex area of tax and practice involved in such planning becomes increasingly necessary as overseas business continues to expand and national barriers come down.

For the most part we spend our early official lives dealing with persons and events and property which are wholly within the United Kingdom and that, primarily, is what we are trained to do. That training is, and is recognised by the outside world to be, of a high standard. Early training in international aspects of taxation is rather more modest and when we first become involved with such work there is a natural tendency to feel somewhat insecure. An understanding of the Tax Cases and of the Statute Law - which may be very old - is sometimes made more difficult by the absence of an adequate background to our reading. It is such a background that this book seeks to provide. The book also illustrates how companies have tried and still try to take advantage of the law and the means which have been taken to counter the resulting loss of tax. It is intended to complement the guidance in other manuals which should always be consulted on a particular case.