Providing both advice and advocacy in contentious matters, Pump Court Tax Chambers covers a wide range of indirect tax issues including VAT issues relating to school fees, health care tax exemptions and input tax recovery. Andrew Hitchmough KC has led 2025 silk, Laura Poots KC, in JP Morgan Chase Bank v HMRC, a case concerning the finance exemption as applied to investment banks. Kevin Prosser KC led Quinlan Windle in Wakefield College v HMRC, a case determining if the construction costs of a new college on the basis that it would be used for purposes of a "business". Rupert Baldry KC appeared before the Court of Appeal in Jazztel v HMRC, a test concerning a number of companies who had paid stamp duty reserve tax contrary to EU law. Zizhen Yang is instructed by a recycling company in a case concerning the application of landfill tax to a "valley feature" - required by regulation - sited above a geographical fault, at issue is if a material is disposed "with the intention to discard it".
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Profile
Position
Laura practises in all areas of taxation, acting in the course of disputes and litigation and offering planning advice. Her direct tax practice covers personal and corporate taxes and her indirect tax practice includes VAT, SDLT and landfill tax. As can be seen from her list of Recent Matters (below) she has in recent years appeared in a number of high-profile VAT, pensions and employment remuneration cases, both for the taxpayer and HMRC. Laura is qualified to accept Public Access instructions.
Career
September 2020: Junior Counsel to the Crown – A Panel
September 2017: Junior Counsel to the Crown – B Panel
March 2013: Junior Counsel to the Crown – C Panel
October 2007: Called, Middle Temple
Memberships
Revenue Bar Association
London Chancery and Commercial Bar Association
VAT Practitioners Group
Education
2006-2007: Bar Vocational Course, Inns of Court Law School (Very competent)
2002-2006: St John’s College, Oxford (First Class BA Hons, Jurisprudence)
Content supplied by Pump Court Tax Chambers
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The clerks are always helpful and available. Mark Rushton is very professional. John Poyser is hugely experienced.'
- 'Clerks are very responsive. Luke Sawyer in particular is very helpful.'
- 'The clerks are very responsive and very personable.'
- 'Pump Court Tax Chambers are the go-to set for VAT matters.'
- 'Top tax set.'
- 'Very happy with Chambers.'