The Act Introductory Section 62 – The general anti-avoidance rule: introductory
76.This section sets out the overall purpose of this Part of the Act – to enable Revenue Scotland to counteract tax advantages in relation to the devolved taxes that arise from tax avoidance schemes that are artificial. Subsection (2) provides that the sections in this Part, taken together, are to be known as the general anti-avoidance rule (GAAR). Under UK legislation set out in the Finance Act 2013, provision is made for a general anti-abuse rule. Although the terms “avoidance” and “abuse” do not have exact definitions, avoidance generally refers to a spectrum of activities designed to reduce tax liability, while abuse is often used to describe highly contrived schemes. Subsequent sections in Part 5 define the terms used and provide more detail about how the provisions as a whole are to work. The GAAR is intended to operate in tandem with Targeted Anti-Avoidance Rules (TAARs) and the “Ramsay principle” of purposive statutory interpretation applied by the Scottish courts and tribunals.