Tax Relief

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 4 Bouverie Street, London, EC4Y 8AX

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

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

The senior hire builds on the firm’s status as the joint most prolific US hirer in 2024; in other news, an ex-IRS chief counsel has joined Miller & Chevalier
Probationary workers at the agency are being cut, according to reports, with mass firings already taking place across the US
The change is understood to include enhancing information comparison
Taxpayers that operate internationally need to be better prepared for increased tax and TP scrutiny, one expert tells ITR
The Singapore boutique tax law firm’s chief told ITR of the ex-Baker McKenzie lawyers playing a role in the initiative as well as its desire to expand geographically
The new tax regime is a significant reform that will bolster India's semiconductor and electronics manufacturing ecosystem, says Khaitan & Co
Gavin Kliger, a DOGE software engineer, is reportedly set to work at the IRS for 120 days
The Royal Bank of Canada’s success over HMRC represents a milestone in the interpretation of double tax treaties, Norton Rose Fulbright partner Dominic Stuttaford said
Experts from African law firm Bowmans outline the challenges that companies operating across the continent face to stay tax compliant amid legislative upheaval and US pressure
The OECD said the EU nation relies too heavily on corporate tax from multinationals; in other news, Squire Patton Boggs, Skadden and KPMG all made senior tax appointments
Gift this article