'Smoke and mirrors' equation at McLaren

Mark Webber is convinced there will come a time when Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton suffer an on-track shunt. Webber also feels there is a touch of "smoke and mirrors" to their relationship at McLaren which the British duo insist is harmonious. But like his partnership with teammate Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull-Renault, there is a rivalry, simply because of who they are and what they are striving for.

That was amply demonstrated after their accident at the Turkish Grand Prix at the end of May that wrecked a near-certain one-two. Vettel's failed pass on Webber resulted in the German spinning into retirement and the Australian finishing third behind the McLaren pair. Webber simply states his relationship now with Vettel is "pretty good", but it is not all sweetness and light, believing that to also be the case at McLaren despite what is portrayed.

"If Seb's drowning in the ocean then I'll go and help him out. We don't hate each other's guts," said Webber, speaking ahead of Sunday's British Grand Prix at the Red Bull factory in Milton Keynes in England. "If you look at Jarno [Trulli] and Heikki [Kovalainen, at Lotus], there's not much at stake so they're going to get on. "But when you're at the front and both trying to win there's going to be a healthy competitive rivalry. It's totally natural. It's not easy to have a beautiful, fuzzy, warm relationship when your teammate is clearly a competitor.

"That is absolutely the case at McLaren, too. They are working hard to put smoke and mirrors up because those two are racing hard," he added. When it was put to Webber that Hamilton and Button had not been involved in an incident, although they came close to doing so in Turkey, he said: "Not yet. "If you're always racing at the front, inevitably it's going to come. I don't want the headlines to be 'Jenson and Hamilton are going to hit each other this weekend'. That's not what I'm saying.

"It's inevitable because of what's at stake, and that they're both hungry, both driven." Meanwhile, Robert Kubica has signed a contract extension with Renault until the end of the 2012 Formula One season. The Polish driver has impressed in his first season with the team, scoring podiums in Australia and Monaco, and sits sixth in the drivers' standings heading into this weekend's race at Silverstone. Kubica said: "It was a straightforward decision for me to continue with a team where I feel at home.

"What's important for me is to be in the right atmosphere, with a good group of people," he added. * PA

RESULT

Everton 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Everton: Sigurdsson (47'), Calvert-Lewin (73')

Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)

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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer