“A lot of what I do can be quite complicated, be that dealing with succession and changes to family businesses, wider commercial transactions, or tax issues. Taking an issue, understanding the client’s priorities, and finding a solution is what makes my job rewarding.”

Douglas is a Partner in the firm’s Private Wealth and Tax team. As well as being a solicitor, Douglas is a Chartered Tax Advisor, and tax is a common theme in many of the cases he advises on. He advises across all private client work as well as on corporate tax matters.

On the private client side, he advises individuals, families and trustees on issues such as succession planning, wills, trusts, and personal taxation. Many of his cases have an international element (such as cross-border tax issues and looking after clients with assets across multiple jurisdictions. Cases often also involve difficult tax issues, such as complex planning for inheritance tax and capital gains tax, and the use of wealth-planning structures such as Family Investment Companies and Family Limited Partnerships. He also frequently works alongside the firm’s rural property teams on matters involving partnerships and associated inheritance tax matters.

On the corporate side, Douglas advises on all UK taxes. For example, employee taxes and IR35; the taxation of work-related benefits; the employment of internationally mobile people; VAT, often relating to commercial property; and the full range of stamp taxes. He also deals with corporate transactions from a tax point of view, including negotiating and drafting tax covenants and warranties and inputting into other transactions such as business sales or commercial lending.

Areas of practice include:

Sector experience includes:

Admitted

2006: Scotland

Relevant experience

Private Client

Advising clients on the establishment of wealth planning vehicles, including trusts, family investment companies and family limited partnerships.
Advising landowners, farmers and other private business owners on succession planning matters including associated tax matters.
Advising on amendment of trusts, through the use of trustee powers or via court approved reorganisations.
Negotiating with HMRC in relation to various tax matters, including capital gains tax disposals, the availability of inheritance tax reliefs, and international income tax exposure.
Advising international clients with respect to matters such as residence and exposure to UK inheritance tax (including the appropriate use of double taxation conventions).
Providing advice in respect of ‘heritage property’ including on matters such as the establishment of heritage maintenance trusts, conditional exemptions claims, dealing with previously exempted assets and the surrender of items to the state in lieu of tax.
Advising on the proper categorisation in the UK of various offshore structures including LLCs, US ‘Grantor Trusts’, civil law ‘usufructs’ and foundations.
Advising on the taxation of offshore trusts from a UK context including the taxation of stockpiled capital gains and the transfer of assets abroad rules.
Establishing, amending and winding up trading partnerships with a particular focus on farming partnerships.
Providing ‘private client’ related advice to major UK corporates and pension schemes.

Corporate tax

Acting on the tax aspects of corporate transactions alongside the firm’s corporate finance teams on a wide range of transactions.
Providing advice on specialist matters, such as relief from stamp duty and accelerated stamping processes via declarations of trust.
Advising clients in relation to VAT matters including in respect of commercial property transactions in in respect of matters such as carbon credits.
Advising employers on a wide range of tax matters such as the implementation of IR35 changes, the taxation of internationally mobile employees, and the taxation of termination payments.
Advising on LBTT and SDLT matters with respect to commercial and residential transactions (including matters such as the additional dwelling supplement and associated planning).
Advising renewables clients in respect of the establishment of joint venture vehicles alongside landowners.

“Douglas Sinclair is always on top of the brief [and] provides advice (and training) at the appropriate level. He’s knowledgeable, approachable, personable but most importantly he consistently delivers.”

Legal 500 (2020)