Explanatory note

The Regulations amend the International Tax Compliance Regulations 2015 (“the principal Regulations”) which give effect to agreements and arrangements reached between the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions to improve international tax compliance.

Regulation 2(2) extends the application of the principal Regulations to arrangements entered into by the United Kingdom for the exchange of financial account information with other jurisdictions up to 19th April 2020, the date before the Regulations are made.

Regulation 2(5) omits various accounts from the category of excluded accounts. Regulation 2(4)(b) amends the definitions of “new account” and “pre-existing account” in relation to those accounts so that these terms are defined by reference to the date that those accounts ceased to be excluded accounts. Regulation 2(3) and (4)(a) make consequential amendments.

Regulation 3 makes a transitional provision for the calendar year 2020 in relation to accounts which were previously excluded accounts.

A Tax Information and Impact Note covering the International Tax Compliance Regulations 2015 was published on 18th March 2015 and is available on the HMRC website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tax-administration-regulations-to-implement-the-uks-automatic-exchange-of-information-agreements. It remains an accurate summary of the impacts that apply to this instrument.