El nuevo sistema de subastas judiciales electrónicas continúa perfeccionándose tras varios meses desde su implantación en toda España, ofreciendo notables diferencias con respecto a las antiguas subastas presenciales.

El Tribunal Supremo ha aclarado en una reciente sentencia, de fecha 8 de junio de 2016, el orden de pago que corresponde a los honorarios de la administración concursal cuando la masa activa es insuficiente para el abono de la totalidad de los créditos contra la masa. Se distingue, a tal efecto, entre los que resultan estrictamente necesarios para hacer líquidos los activos del concursado y para gestionar el pago, de los que no tienen tal carácter.

1. IVA. Medidas de modernización en la Unión Europea

El pasado día 7 de abril la Comisión Europea comunicó la presentación de un Plan de Acción para revitalizar el actual sistema de IVA en la Unión Europea (UE), con el objetivo de hacerlo más sencillo, más impermeable al fraude y propicio para las empresas.

The Regulator has updated its guidance on assessing and monitoring the employer covenant in order to help trustees apply the defined benefit funding code of practice (“the Code”).

The guidance is intended to identify good practice for trustees in:

This article provides an essential update for insolvency practitioners on insolvency changes in 2015 and the proposed changes in 2016.

2015 Changes                

The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015

In recent times, the legal profession has undergone widespread changes at the bequest of previous governments. The most draconian measures have been in relation to the expense of professional services. These include a budgeting and costs management process which is the subject of judicial approval. In essence, service provider’s fees and expenses are estimated and capped in advance of them being incurred.

The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has issued a guidance note on Insolvency Practitioner remuneration which will apply where the insolvent company has a Defined Benefit Pension Scheme. The guidance note applies to pre and post appointment work.

The Guidance Note can be found here.

The Supreme Court has handed down its judgment in the case of The Trustees of Olympic Airlines SA Pension and Life Assurance Scheme –v- Olympic Airlines SA. Pitmans’ Trustee company, PTL, were the Appellants.

The question at issue was what connection must a foreign company, that has its Centre of Main Interests (COMI) in another EU country, have within the United Kingdom, to entitle an English Court to wind it up.

In the recent decision of Horton v Henry [2014] EWHC 4209 (Ch) the High Court held that a Bankrupt’s unexercised rights to draw his pension did not represent income to which the Bankrupt was entitled within the meaning of section 310(7) of the Insolvency Act 1986 and so refused to make an Income Payments Order. This contradicted the controversial decision in Raithatha v Williamson [2012] EWHC 909 (Ch) and has created uncertainty as to which is the correct position. The Horton case is being appealed.

The High Court has held that a bankrupt’s unexercised rights to draw his pension did not represent income to which the bankrupt was entitled and so refused to make an income payments order, contradicting the controversial decision in Raithatha v Williamson which held that a bankrupt’s right to draw income from a personal pension may be subject to an income payments order even if the individual has yet to draw his pension.

Horton v Henry [2014] EWHC 4209 (Ch)