DECISION TIME

摘要

In a little over a month, voters in Scotland will go to the polls for a referendum that will shape the very future of the UK. But as the campaigning reaches fever pitch, question marks over the tax and accounting implications of Scottish independence mean that voters are being forced to make their decision based on emotion rather than hard fact. The Scottish government's white paper on independence, published in November 2013, sets out plans to create a distinct Scottish tax system, which it says would be simpler and better-suited to the Scottish economy. This is designed to ensure that an independent Scotland remains an attractive and competitive place to do business. In reality, huge swathes of businesses and their employees waking up on 19 September to an independent Scotland will be faced with a raft of tax complexities.