Financial

Loophole

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Loophole

A technicality in some legislation or regulation that makes it possible to avoid certain consequences or circumvent a rule without breaking the law, such as in the use of a tax shelter.
Copyright © 2012, Campbell R. Harvey. All Rights Reserved.

Loophole

A deliberate or accidental provision in a law that allows an individual or corporation to which it would otherwise apply to be exempt from it. Most loopholes are deliberate and are placed there to ensure that the law is not draconian, to please a lobbyist, or for some other reason. For example, a country may pass a law requiring most companies to register with the government. However, it may contain a loophole allowing the exemption of companies that find registration too difficult or expensive. Occasionally, the government may close a loophole, which means that it takes away the exemption.
Farlex Financial Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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References in periodicals archive
The banking group said industrial charters are a loophole in the banking law that Congress should end.
Rona Caritos, acting executive director of Legal Network for Truthful Elections, said candidates who are taking advantage of the loopholes in the law on premature campaigning should not be given the chance to win.
The Barnsley MP tried to introduce a new workers' rights bill to close the loophole but it ran out of time after Tory Philip Davies tabled 21 amendments.
General secretary Frances O'Grady said: "The Government must scrap this loophole now - it's an undercutters' charter."
Now the Bradys and the groups associated with former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, are calling this deadline a loophole.
A year after the reforms came into force it emerged that a "loophole" in legislation meant that people who had lived in the same house since January 1, 1996 and received continuous housing benefit should not have had their payments cut.
MOTORING lawyer Nick Freeman, also known as Mr Loophole, has made headlines for years because of his ability to win motoring offence cases for famous clients.
When Margaret Thatcher was in power she made a nice loophole for wealthy companies to pay very little tax.
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