H. Corporate Requirements

21 Taxation

21.1 Heads of Departments shall ensure that their Department accounts correctly for VAT and where appropriate corporation tax. Where there is any doubt as to the correct VAT or tax treatment of a transaction, the Taxation Section must be consulted.

21.2 Heads of Departments shall ensure that any taxable benefits paid to individuals are reported to the Finance Division for inclusion in P11D returns.

22 Legal Advice and Proceedings

22.1 The Council's Executive Council and the Registrary have authority to take legal advice and to conduct legal proceedings. Departments shall not take any action to initiate or defend legal proceedings or obtain external legal advice without first involving the Legal Services Office, which will seek consent from the Registrary or Executive Committee as necessary. The Legal Services Office should be contacted immediately if legal proceedings are threatened or served on any part of the University or any University subsidiary company. See also Regulation 23.3 and 23.4

23 Insurance

23.1 Departments must comply with the insurance requirements set out in Financial Procedures and on the Insurance Section web pages.

23.2 Contents whether owned, borrowed or hired must be valued, recorded and notified to insurers. Departments should regularly review the value of contents held and notify the Insurance Section of:

• departmental moves;
• the acquisition and disposal of high value items (exceeding £1,000,000); and
• temporary removal from University premises (where the single article exceeds £50,000 or the total exceeds £100,000).

23.3 Departments must take all necessary steps to prevent losses and accidents and ensure that the Insurance Officer is advised immediately of any new unusual or significant risk. Liabilities should not be accepted on behalf of the University without careful consideration. Any liabilities not covered by insurance will fall on the Department.

23.4 Third party claims must be passed immediately to the Insurance Section without comment to the third party to ensure that the University's legal position and insurance policies are not compromised.

24 Overseas Activity

24.1 No Department may enter into any arrangements for activity outside the United Kingdom, unless the Director of Finance gives prior written consent, where this activity involves either or both setting up any establishment and employing individuals overseas. In giving such consent, the Director of Finance shall seek advice from the Legal Services Office and the Taxation Section. The Director may require that external advice is procured at the expense of the Department seeking to enter into such arrangements. Consent shall not be deemed to override the need to take all necessary advice and obtain any other approval from University bodies including the General Board.