Tax Relief

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Tax Relief

Sharp suits for Sean’s Accountants

007.jpg

Your secrets are safe with me, Mr Bond

It's not often that accountants make the showbiz news for anything other than a tax avoidance scandal, but a quirky payment method by James Bond star Sean Connery caught Tax Relief's eye.

Meg Simmonds, an archivist for Eon Productions, revealed in July that there are "virtually no" Bond costumes from the 1960s. She said this is because Connery, who played the iconic spy from 1962 to 1967, and again in 1971 and 1983, kept most of his suits for himself.

For keepsakes? For nostalgia? Well, not quite.

In an auction for the coat that Connery wore in Dr No, Simmonds found out that the vendor was in fact Connery's accountant, leading several news outlets to conclude that 007 was paying his accountant in sharp suits.

The Connery family has made the news on tax issues on more than one occasion, so it's unlikely that this small revelation will leave them shaken… or stirred.

Bishop bangs bag burglar

bishops.jpg

PwC’s security team get ready for a day guarding the office

A soon-to-be partner at Big 4 firm PwC took down an alleged burglar – while dressed as a bishop.

Max Lixingstone-Learmouth was taking part in a world-record attempt relay race when he heard someone shout "stop that man" at a suspected handbag thief, who he chased down over 100 metres before pinning him against a wall with his crosier.

"It's not your day if you've been run down by a bishop," Livingston-Learmouth told the man, who must have felt that God was not quite on his side that day.

Tax Relief recommends that next time he finds himself being chased down by a member of the clergy he runs in a straight line, rather than diagonally.

Eels, badger hair and anvils are off the American menu

Wile E Coyote will feel his chances of catching the Road Runner are getting even worse if a new round of 10% US tariffs on Chinese imports are imposed as planned in September.

The list includes a range of bizarre products including, unfortunately for the hapless cartoon character, anvils.

Here are some of the more interesting items on the list:

  • Badger hair for shaving brushes

  • Human hair

  • Manure spreaders

  • Bovine semen

  • Live eels, carp and other fish

  • Shark fins

  • Baseball gloves

  • Stroboscopes

  • Anvils and portable forges

  • Magnifying glasses

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

With a stark divergence between MNEs that prepared early and those rushing to catch up, advisers must remain agile with all manner of compliance risks
The EU agreed new cooperative and investigative measures to tackle VAT fraud, while Hungary faced legal action and Lavez Coutinho expanded its indirect tax team
The arrival of a team from Brazilian rival Costa Tavares Paes Advogados brings SiqueiraCastro’s tax headcount to seven partners and 30 associates
CSR initiatives can sometimes venture into virtue signalling, but Ryan’s tax literacy event for schoolchildren was a genuine and necessary endeavour
Grant Thornton advanced plans to integrate its Australian firm into its US arm, as tax developments spanned law firm hires, aviation levies and digital services taxes
A new focus on early intervention and increased AI use is transforming how tax authorities are approaching TP audits, though capacity-constrained jurisdictions risk falling behind
The French administration has used AI to detect undeclared swimming pools and verandas but always includes a human in the loop, the AI in Tax Forum heard
The UK tax authority’s deputy director of large business also reassured taxpayers that HMRC will not ‘nitpick’ returns
Sucafina’s tax chief was speaking at the ITR Pillar 2 Forum in London alongside experts from HMRC and other organisations
India’s Supreme Court rattled cross‑border structuring with its Tiger Global ruling. Subsequent rule changes narrowed the impact, but significant risks around GAAR, substance and treaty access persist
Gift this article