I read with interest the guidance issued by the Law Society as regards the disclosure obligations under section 307 of the Finance Act 2004. This section requires a professional engaged in promoting 'notifiable proposals' to disclose the workings of tax avoidance schemes to the Inland Revenue, and exempts from these disclosure rules advice subject to legal professional privilege.


Surely this creates an unfair advantage for legal professionals over other service providers, most notably accountants. Given that the government's stated aim is to deregulate the legal advice sector and open the legal professional market to other bodies, as can be seen from the government's report In the Public Interest? and the anticipated changes from the Clementi review, then it is certainly unsatisfactory that the Law Society is creating a niche market for solicitors that could lead to a professional monopoly by giving unfair advantage to solicitors whose advice will remain secret, whereas an accountant or other tax professional would have to disclose.



Surely any potential client would prefer to receive advice from a solicitor safe in the knowledge that his tax affairs will not be subject to the same amount of scrutiny as would be the case if he visited another professional.



Adam Snow, Crewe, Cheshire