Help us close the private equity tax loophole for good

Britain is in the midst of a brutal cost of living crisis. Energy and rent prices are soaring, and many of us are struggling to pay for the essentials. Despite this, some of the richest amongst us are failing to hand over their fair share of tax thanks to a sweetheart deal between HM Revenue and Customs and private equity fund managers.

We are sure you’ll agree that this is blatantly unjust and so Good Law Project together with Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, have decided to legally challenge HMRC to right this wrong.

The deal was made back in 1987, when private equity industry representatives successfully lobbied the Inland Revenue, now HMRC, to pay less tax. Their success meant that the money made by executive managers is classed as ‘capital gains’ and not ‘trading income’. As a result, instead of paying a tax bill of 47%, that figure was slashed to 28% for private equity fund managers.

We, working with leading tax lawyer Dan Neidle, believe the agreement was unlawful.

We think it’s a sweetheart deal and HMRC have, in essence, turned a blind eye to the realities of the private equity sector ever since.

Were private equity to be taxed properly, HMRC could collect an estimated £600 million more in revenue each year, from just a couple of thousand people. Help us bring this case to close the private equity tax loophole for good, and ensure everyone contributes the right amount into the public purse!