Old Square Tax Chambers’ Robert Venables KC denies the charges
A leading tax barrister has been charged with tax evasion, it has emerged.
Robert Venables KC, a member of London’s Old Square Tax Chambers, faces two charges of “cheating the public revenue”: one covering the period from 2013 to 2022, and the other from 2018 to 2022.
Venables appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in December last year, HM Revenue & Customs confirmed to Legal Cheek. No plea was entered.
Old Square Tax did not respond to our request for comment, but did issue a statement on behalf of Venables to think tank Tax Policy Associates, which first reported the news.
“The charges are denied,” the statement reads. “They relate entirely to the personal tax position of Mr Venables and do not relate to the tax position of any client of his past or present.”
“Mr Venables is confident that he has paid all tax lawfully due,” it added.
The set also confirmed that Venables “continues to be a member of chambers, continues to practice and has the full support of chambers”.
Venables was called to the bar in 1973, and was appointed to QC (now KC) in 1990.
