Spring 2008 Newsletter Content Winter Of Discontent CGT Winners CGT Losers Shifty Business Anything To Declare? Long Arm Of The Law Irreplaceable You Earn As You Pay Ask Questions Later Capital Ideas ISA ISA ISA Referee! Go Green VAT Or No VAT? Taking The Register Close Encounters May Contain Nuts Going Concern Ancient History Business And Pleasure Do Your Duty Know Your Rights Time To Go? Passing The Buck

Time To Go? UK law allows employers to impose compulsory retirement on employees at age 65. Heyday, a membership organisation for people approaching 65, is mounting a challenge to this law in the European Court. They are arguing that the law permits age discrimination and is not in accordance with the European Directive on Equal Treatment. The case won't be heard until 2009, which leaves employers in a difficult position - if you want to retire someone who doesn't want to go, you leave yourself open to a claim for unfair dismissal, and you won't know whether the claim will succeed until after the Court has given its judgment. A number of claims have already been made and have all been put on hold. A recent case about Spanish retirement rules suggests that the UK may be within the European law - there was discrimination but it was justified in the circumstances. We will have to wait and see if the same applies here.