The Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, MSP, was the special guest at a seminar on taxation in Scotland, and his contribution on topics ranging from the launch of Revenue Scotland to the importance of a progressive tax structure was welcomed by the audience in the Laigh Hall, Parliament House, Edinburgh.

The event, presented by the Edinburgh Tax Network (ETN) in conjunction with Pinsent Masons and Terra Firma Chambers (TFC), covered a variety of subjects, such as tax issues for Scottish businesses in an international context, the Scottish GAAR (General Anti-Abuse Rule), and the new rules which govern Revenue Scotland’s ability to amend taxpayers’ self-assessment where they think it’s wrong and how these differ from the UK discovery assessment.

The Edinburgh Tax Network includes members of the Faculty of Advocates, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Scottish branch of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, and STEP Scotland.

Derek Francis, Chair of ETN, said: “It is a double honour for ETN/TFC to partner Pinsent Masons, perhaps the leading law firm in UK tax, in organising this event, and to have such a prominent speaker on such a hot topic.”

Emma Potter, Practice Manager of Terra Firma Chambers, added:  “We were pleased to continue our support of the ETN with this, the latest in a series of interesting and informative events. This is an exciting time for all of those involved in taxation in Scotland with many changes on the way.

“The seminar offered a unique opportunity to engage with the Deputy First Minister and an expert panel on some of the major issues regarding tax devolution.”