CriminalFinancesAct2017

The Criminal Finances Act 2017 introduced a corporate criminal offence for failing to prevent employees or associated persons from facilitating tax evasion, whether the evasion relates to UK or overseas tax. Unlike many offences, a business can be liable even if senior management had no knowledge the facilitation was taking place.

The main defence is having reasonable prevention procedures in place, reflecting the specific risks a business faces. This typically involves a risk assessment, a clear policy, staff training and ongoing monitoring. Businesses of all sizes can be affected, so it's worth reviewing what safeguards you currently have and where any gaps might exist.