Tax Body Says UK Accountants Sent Clients to Avoidance Schemes

UK tax authorities named five accounting firms they said had taken fees for referring clients to a tax avoidance scheme.

The firms had set up “introducer agreements,” through which they were paid fees for successful referrals of their tax and audit clients to an avoidance scheme promoted by B2BTradecard Limited, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs said in a statement Thursday. Under the scheme, businesses bought tax-deductible advertising from B2BTradecard before getting up to 80% refunded.

The accounting firms received a portion of the “advertising” money as a fee for the referrals, HMRC said.

• “Naming the people involved in promoting tax ...