David Sleight
United Kingdom
As seen in:
ProPublica,
Nieman Lab,
Lexology,
Editor & Publisher,
The Law Society Gazette,
OpenNews,
Tax Journal
Publishing webgeek, reformed consultant, authorized person. Former senior design and product director at @ProPublica. Currently chilling on purpose.
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Articles by David Sleight
Finding a candle in the dark
Finding a candle in the dark “We keep trying to ‘fix’ the news, but we’re up against an equally deep societal crisis in education and other civic institutions that shape how people understand the world and our work.” -inding-a-candle-in-the-dark Predicting the future of journalism with any precision may be a fool’s errand, though the broad — and mostly bleak — contours are obvious enough: local news will still face collapse; public trust will continue to buckle under the twin pressures of...
HMRC’s strengthened reward scheme for whistleblowers of tax avoidance and evasion
The new scheme The Chancellor has announced the terms of the financial incentive for those who report serious tax avoidance or evasion, the . Between 2023 and 2024, there is estimated to be a tax gap of £46.8 billion between the amount of tax recovered by HMRC and the amount of tax due to HMRC.
Celtic & Liverpool: a tale of two cities
“There is a finite amount of space in this boy’s head and too much of it is currently devoted to football.” So read one of my school reports the thick end of forty years ago and I must admit that Charles Dickens would not have been the first name to pop into my head had I read the sub-title of this article at the time. My best pal at school followed Liverpool and my mum was a Celtic fan so I grew up supporting both teams – and, frankly, thought of little else.
Anywhere But Here – Stuntbox
note • December 19, 2022 Twitter was an accident from the start, and not always a happy one. Years of feckless direction have brought it to the present crisis, a bit like that famous line from The Sun Also Rises about how Mike Campbell went bankrupt: “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” Enter you-know-who, an erratic billionaire whose own tweets long ago crossed the threshold of self parody.
Anywhere But Here
Twitter was an accident from the start, and not always a happy one. Years of feckless leadership have brought it to the present crisis, a bit like that famous line from The Sun Also Rises about how Mike Campbell went bankrupt: “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” Enter you-know-who, an erratic billionaire whose own tweets long ago crossed the threshold of self parody.
Justice delayed is justice denied for clients in lockdown limbo
The top five most stressful events in life are commonly regarded as death of a loved one; divorce; major illness or injury; job loss; and moving house (in that order). Some might argue that the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns should be a new addition to this list. Not only does it make life more stressful but also the first four events more likely.
Beyond "Be Like Facebook"
Features: How the SND award went wrong, and what we can learn from it In the first article of a series on evolving understandings of news design, ProPublica’s David Sleight considers a controversial award and its implications. Industry awards set benchmarks. Done well, they reflect the priorities of a field and give us a snapshot of its prevailing ambitions. They highlight role models to follow, achievements to emulate, and competitors we can sharpen our skills against.
PAYE for employees coming to the UK
HMRC has updated its guidance New employee coming to work from abroad for employers on operating PAYE for employees who come to work in the UK, to reflect changes in circumstances resulting from coronavirus restrictions. Where an employer already has an agreement in place to operate PAYE on an employee’s earnings for work done in the UK, the employer can ask to amend that agreement if coronavirus restrictions have affected the employee’s ability to leave or return to the UK.
‘Pragmatism required’ on loan charge, says LITRG
LITRG has expressed concern over the challenges faced by those attempting to agree loan charge settlements which resulted in them failing to meet the 30 September 2020 deadline. Some of the issues included delays in HMRC sending out settlement offers which resulted in individuals having ‘little time to agree them or seek advice’, misunderstandings about the administrative formalities required in agreeing a settlement, and unexpected final figures from HMRC.
Civil or criminal proceedings for serious fraud?
26 October 2020 Speed read The recent Upper Tribunal decision in L Hackett v HMRC is an important judgment for both tax and criminal litigators alike. The judgment provides useful guidance on why pursuing an individual taxpayer via civil penalties for deliberate errors in VAT returns, rather than instituting criminal proceedings for tax evasion, does not amount to an abuse of the tribunal process.
Mid Ulster District Council in successful VAT repayment claim
In Mid Ulster District Council (formerly Magherafelt District Council) v HMRC (TC/2011/687 & TC/2012/9253), the lead case on behalf of Northern Ireland Councils, the First-tier Tribunal found in favour of the taxpayer when deciding that charges paid by members of the public for access to sports and leisure facilities provided by local authorities in Northern Ireland were outside the scope of VAT and the VAT should be repaid.
Social security after Brexit: internationally mobile employees
Home Analysis Social security after Brexit: internationally mobile employees Home Analysis Social security after Brexit: internationally mobile employees 22 October 2020 Speed read Following the end of the ‘transition period’ on 31 December 2020, the social security implications for internationally mobile employees between the UK and the EU will become more complicated.
Commission v Poland; Commission v Hungary
22 October 2020 Turnover-based income taxes were not state aid In two separate but similar opinions, Commission v Poland (Case C-562/19 P) and Commission v Hungary (Case C-596/19 P) (15 October), Advocate General (AG) Kokott supported the decision of the EU General Court that turnover-based taxes introduced by... If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content.
The job retention bonus scheme
22 October 2020 Caroline Noblet and David Whincup (Squire Patton Boggs) explain how the job retention bonus scheme works and what employers should do now. How it works and what employers should do now.HMRC has recently released further guidance for employers about the job retention bonus scheme, together with a new Treasury Direction (the law governing the scheme). These new publications do not provide... If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content.
Finanzamt D v E
22 October 2020 Services associated with welfare services In Finanzamt D v E (Case C-657/19) (8 October), the CJEU ruled that the provision of dependency assessment reports fell within the exemption for welfare services in Directive 2006/112/EC article 132(1)(g). However, the provider of those reports was... If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content.
Judicial review of exchange of information requests
Home Analysis Judicial review of exchange of information requests Home Analysis Judicial review of exchange of information requests 22 October 2020 Speed read A recent decision of the CJEU indicates that persons to whom a request for information is served under the EU Directive on Administrative Cooperation must have the right to judicially review the legitimacy of that request. While this aspect of the decision is welcome, the decision in its entirety may be disappointing to taxpayers.
M Moaref and another v HMRC
22 October 2020 No intention to live in flat as only or main residence In M Moaref and another v HMRC [2020] UKFTT 396 (TC), the First-tier Tax Tribunal (FTT) found that the taxpayers (the buyers) did not intend to live in a flat as their only or main residence and as a result they were not entitled to a... If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content.
Waterside Escapes Ltd v HMRC
22 October 2020 15% rate of SDLT and partnership provisions applied to acquisition of a dwelling In Waterside Escapes Ltd v HMRC [2020] UKFTT 404 (TC) (13 October), the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) held that the 15% rate of SDLT applied to the acquisition of a property by a company, but that the amount of chargeable consideration for the... If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content.
IR35 and umbrella companies
21 October 2020 Double, double, toil and trouble: another poisoned entrail gets into the IR35 cauldron. This is what comes of having legislation that is too complicated to understand: it has side effects that can be quite far-reaching and are not always apparent when it was passed. It matters particularly when it affects an environment in which about a million people work.
HMRC clarifies scope of off-payroll working rules where intermediary is a company
21 October 2020 Following discussions with stakeholder groups, HMRC has issued a statement on the off-payroll working rules due to come into effect next April which clarifies its interpretation of the conditions where the intermediary is a company.
McCabe: tax residence issues
21 October 2020 Mutual agreement disagreement. Where you are resident for tax purposes is an important factor in deciding your tax liabilities. It is, however, possible to be resident in more than one country at any given time. (It’s also possible to be resident nowhere, but that’s another story for another day.) Where this happens, any double taxation treaty between the two countries involved normally provides that you will be treated by both countries as tax-resident in only one of them.
VAT on yachts post-Brexit
21 October 2020 HMRC throws lifeline for pleasure boat owners wishing to return their craft to the UK after transition. Pleasure boating in its various forms is a popular pastime in the UK and EU. Let’s face it, what could be more pleasurable than cruising around the Mediterranean in your own boat? Many owners have moored their boats in the EU and, provided that VAT has been paid somewhere in the EU (and the owner can evidence that), they can cruise within EU waters with impunity.
Working from home expenses
HMRC has confirmed that the £26 a month flat-rate claim for employed homeworker expenses can be made for the whole of the 2020/21, regardless of how long the individual was required to work from home. For employees who were required to work from home because of coronavirus, HMRC’s online claim service confirms that tax relief is available for all of 2020/21, regardless of how long the employee worked or is working from home.
Corporate criminal offence
21 October 2020 Three years on and still no prosecutions. HMRC’s 2015–2020 business plan pledged to increase the number of criminal investigations and prosecutions into serious and complex tax crime, focusing particularly on wealthy individuals and corporates. The stated aim was to increase prosecutions in this area to 100 a year by 2020.
Disguised remuneration consultation
The CIOT has responded to HMRC’s call for evidence on tackling disguised remuneration tax avoidance, welcoming the commitment to ‘discouraging the use of abusive arrangements involving disguised remuneration schemes, and this early stage call for evidence to ascertain the extent of the problem and possible further actions the government could take in response.’ The CIOT believes HMRC should target promoters of disguised remuneration schemes by: making it clear that disguised remuneration...
Self-employment income support scheme
HMRC has contacted some businesses which received a grant under the SEISS, asking them to confirm whether or not they are still trading. Where a business has stopped trading, HMRC will need to check whether it was eligible for the grant and whether the grant needs to be repaid. Businesses which continue to trade will also need to respond to HMRC’s request and may need to provide evidence that they are still trading.
Q&A: The job support scheme
20 October 2020 A guide to what we know so far, by John Chaplin and Sarah Hewson (EY). This article was correct at the time of publication, but it will be updated in the coming days to reflect changes announced by the chancellor on 22 October. The job support scheme (JSS) was announced as part of the winter economy plan on 24... If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content.
HMRC v Opus Bestpay Ltd
28 October 2020 Deferral scheme falls foul of DOTAS rules In HMRC v Opus Bestpay Ltd [2020] UKFTT 408 (TC) (18 August 2020), the First-tier Tribunal found that the taxpayer company (OBL) had made available a standardised tax avoidance scheme to participants, and it was a promoter of notifiable arrangements... If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content.
What is Art Direction for the Web?
Post Andy Clarke has written a wonderful new book about art direction for the web titled, appropriately enough, Art Direction for the Web. Art direction is core to my day-to-day work with editorial design and publishing platforms, and something many newsrooms spend a fair share of time and expertise on. But it also applies to digital product work, service design, and a raft of other disciplines that might not seem obvious.
ProPublica’s Year in (Mostly) Visual Journalism
by David Sleight January 3, 2019 At ProPublica, the stories we report are told not just with words, but also with data, design, photography, illustration, audio, video and more. 2018 marked ProPublica’s 10th year pairing fearless investigative journalism with engaging and inventive presentations. As we head into our second decade, here’s a quick look back at some remarkable work from the year that was.
Facebook’s News Feed Update Relies on Unreliable Signals – Stuntbox
Like pretty much everyone else in journalism I’ve been thinking a lot about Facebook’s big News Feed announcement. In case you missed it, content posted by publishers and institutional players will now be downplayed in the News Feed in favor of stuff your friends and family share and comment on. The result will be fewer articles from newsrooms and (shudder) brands, and more stuff from actual people like your Aunt Susie. Fair enough. It’s named after a face book for a reason, right?
The Year in Visual and Interactive Storytelling
Hurricanes. Hate Crimes. President Trump. If 2017 seemed busier than most, that’s because it was. ProPublica published more stories and broke more news than ever before. In addition to stellar investigative work, our reporting included ambitious visual storytelling, data journalism and interactive presentations. Here are some highlights from the year that was. The nation’s health care tab is sky-high.
Failure to prevent tax evasion? Responsibility shifted from HMRC onto companies
In the aftermath of the Panama Papers scandal, MPs from the Public Accounts Committee provided a damning indictment of HMRC’s performance in tackling tax evasion.
Will the new corporate offence of failure to prevent tax evasion and enhanced international tax transparency change the landscape for tax investigations? - Lexology
The 30 September 2017 is an important date for HMRC and its “relentless” clampdown on global tax evasion. First, it marks the coming into force of the landmark corporate offence of failure to prevent tax evasion under Part 3 of the Criminal Finances Act 2017. Secondly, it is the commencement date for the first exchanges of offshore financial account information by countries who have signed up to OECD’s Common Reporting Standards (CRS).
Welcome to the New ProPublica.org
Websites are like icebergs. What you see on the surface usually offers the merest hint of the big, complex world that lies beneath. ProPublica’s site is no different. Since our start nearly 10 years ago, the system we use to publish our website has cranked out thousands of entries and been through countless retrofits, modifications, gleeful hacks and willful workarounds. It’s picked up its fair share of iceberg-level complexity, too.
All About the New ProPublica Site
After nine years in the same CMS, ProPublica launched a new site today, running on Craft and fully responsive. The new site updates the design on all of the organization’s trademark in-depth investigative articles, launches a new Impact section to track the effects of ProPublica reporting, and is remarkably easy to read. We checked in with ProPublica’s director of design, David Sleight, to discuss the project. We lightly edited this interview for clarity and concision.
Sikhs in America: A History of Hate
The 1907 episode in a seaside timber town in Washington came to be known as the Bellingham Riots. Really, though, there were no riots. There was a pogrom. At the time, the U.S. was suffering through deep economic distress, a panic-filled recession that had begun the year before. Angry anti-immigrant sentiment was ascendant. And hundreds of Sikh men who had traveled from India to Bellingham to toil in the lumber mills paid the price.
50 years on from the Sexual Offences Act 1967
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Sexual Offences Act 1967. Before it was introduced, homosexual activity between men was a crime. The Act decriminalised private homosexual acts between men over 21 in England and Wales. The passing of the Act was a milestone in the history of gay rights in the UK not least because it legalised sexual acts between men which had been criminalised for over 400 years by virtue of the Buggery Act of 1553.
Kaboom Town: The U.S. military burns millions of pounds of munitions in a tiny, African-American corner of Louisiana
COLFAX, Louisiana — Two years ago, the U.S. military had an embarrassment on its hands: A stockpile of aging explosives blew up at a former Army ammunition plant in Minden, Louisiana, sending a cloud of debris 7,000 feet into the sky. Bombs in Our Backyard This story is part of a series examining the Pentagon’s oversight of thousands of toxic sites on American soil, and years of stewardship marked by defiance and delay. Read the first entry in this series.
Bombs in Our Backyards: How the Pentagon’s handling of munitions and their waste has poisoned America
RADFORD, Virginia — Shortly after dawn most weekdays, a warning siren rips across the flat, swift water of the New River running alongside the Radford Army Ammunition Plant. Red lights warning away boaters and fishermen flash from the plant, the nation’s largest supplier of propellant for artillery and the source of explosives for almost every American bullet fired overseas.
How the U.S. Triggered a Massacre in Mexico
Leer en Español. We have testimony from people who say they participated in the crime. They described some 50 trucks arriving in Allende, carrying people connected to the cartel. They broke into houses, they looted them and burned them. Afterward, they kidnapped the people who lived in those houses and took them to a ranch just outside of Allende. First they killed them. They put them inside a storage shed filled with hay.
Kafka in Vegas
I. The Plea Fred Steese, Inmate No. 45595, often gazed at the 18-wheelers rumbling by the state prison on a desolate stretch of highway outside Las Vegas, yearning to be behind the wheel. Lying in his bunk in Cell Block A, Unit 7, he’d picture himself double-clutching down hills, filling out the logbook, expertly backing up as he made deliveries. Semis had been an obsession since he’d begun hitching rides with truckers between stints with foster families and in group homes.
Sold for Parts
This story was co-published with The New Yorker. Leer en Español. By late afternoon, the smell from the Case Farms chicken plant in Canton, Ohio, is like a pungent fog, drifting over a highway lined with dollar stores and auto parts shops. When the stink is at its ripest, it means that the day’s 180,000 chickens have been slaughtered, drained of blood, stripped of feathers and carved into pieces — and it’s time for workers like Osiel López Pérez to clean up.
In Their Own Words: CIA Cables Document Agency’s Torture of Abu Zubaydah — ProPublica
For 20 days in 2002, the CIA interrogated Abu Zubaydah at a secret “black site” prison in Thailand, believing him to be a top al-Qaida operative with information about impending attacks on the United States. Through recently released cables obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union and Zubayadah’s own account to his lawyers, which has also been recently declassified, a chilling picture has emerged of just what transpired on those days and who oversaw it.
2016: The Year in Visual and Interactive Storytelling
From the U.S. presidential election to risky urban infrastructure, dubious drug tests to the algorithms that rule our lives, here are some highlights from a year of ambitious interactive journalism and visual storytelling at ProPublica.
Photojournalists Call on Camera Manufacturers to Add Encryption – Stuntbox
The Freedom of the Press Foundation has published an open letter signed by over 150 photojournalists and documentary filmmakers asking manufacturers to build encryption into their cameras. This is important. Consider what can be easily revealed about a confidential source when a government or hostile party seizes a journalist’s camera, and you begin to understand what’s at stake.
Flash is Done and Dusted
With its next major release, Chrome will start blocking Flash content by default. The writing has been on the wall for an interminably long time, but the takeaway is unequivocal: Flash is truly dead. With Chrome joining the ranks of Safari and Firefox in blocking Flash content, there’s effectively no future for the once dominant multimedia plugin. Tellingly, Google’s post announcing the shift focuses on “background” Flash content.
How ProPublica Built Their New Mobile Apps
A few weeks ago, ProPublica rolled out new versions of our app for iOS and Android. (If you haven’t tried them yet, stop reading this and go download them immediately!) Rebuilt and redesigned from scratch, they’re the result of a fundamental rethink that kicked off late last year. Our work was guided by two key questions: 1) How do we build a modern, genuinely useful experience for our most active users, and; 2) how do we maintain it without creating a pile of new work for ourselves? Read More
How We Built the New ProPublica Mobile Apps — ProPublica
A few weeks ago, ProPublica rolled out new versions of our app for iOS and Android. (If you haven’t tried them yet, stop reading this and go download them immediately!) Rebuilt and redesigned from scratch, they’re the result of a fundamental rethink that kicked off late last year. Our work was guided by two key questions: 1) How do we build a modern, genuinely useful experience for our most active users, and; 2) how do we maintain it without creating a pile of new work for ourselves?
Re-introducing ProPublica’s iOS App
Today we’re excited to launch the latest version of ProPublica for iOS. The new app is one of the best ways to keep up on ProPublica’s journalism wherever you are. We’ve rebuilt it from the ground up, featuring an all-new, streamlined design that puts our latest work front and center. It automatically updates in the background with the latest stories, so everything is always up to date.
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