HMRC wins Goldman Sachs tax case

The High Court has ruled HM Revenue and Customs' 2010 tax deal with Goldman Sachs was not illegal.

The ruling follows a case brought by campaign group UK Uncut Legal Action, which challenged a deal made in November 2010 by Dave Hartnett, then permanent secretary to HMRC. It allegedly cost the Revenue around £20m relating to offshore bonus payments made to Goldmans staff. But Mr Justice Nichol said while the deal was "not a glorious episode in the history of the Revenue," it was lawful, despite Hartnett making no record of the oral agreement between HMRC and the bank. In his ruling, the judge found Hartnett by his own admission "took into account the potential embarrassment to the C...