The Supreme court has today released its long-awaited decision about a landmark tax case – Penny & Hooper. The case was decided in favour of Inland Revenue and this decision has widespread implications for the many small businesses using trust structures.
The case is a classic example of taxpayers complying with the ‘black-letter’ of the law, yet not acting within the ‘scheme and purpose’ of the Income Tax Act.
This case involved the restructuring of the business of two surgeons (Penny & Hooper) from sole practitioners earning an income of approximately $500,000 per year, into a company owned by a family trust for the benefit of the surgeons and their respective families. The surgeons became employees of their companies, on salaries of approximately $120,000 per year, while the remainder of the profit from their services was retained by the companies and allocated to the trusts.
Legitimate tax planning or avoidance – what is your view?
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