Georgia’s areas of practice are tax, employment, and sports law with a particular specialism in the cross-over between tax and employment.
A rising junior with strong expertise in employment taxes. She frequently represents clients in the sports and media industry in matters involving income tax, IR35 and NI contributions. Hicks is also experienced in acting for the Revenue. "Scholarly and very clear in her advice." "She works extremely hard and is a good litigator." - Tax, Chambers UK Bar 2022.
"Georgia showcases a phenomenal commitment to those instructing her and their mutual clients. She is a real pleasure to work with and produces powerful, coherent arguments in conference and in Tribunal." - Tax: VAT, Legal 500 2022.
"She is thorough, has a quick and excellent grasp of the issues and a great manner with clients.". - Employment, Chambers UK Bar 2021
"Bright and really capable." "She is very articulate." Acted in Christa Ackroyd Media v HMRC, an IR35 tax case. - Tax, Chambers UK Bar 2021
"Really hardworking, well prepared and persuasive. Doesn't leave a stone unturned." - Employment, Legal 500 2021
"A very articulate advocate in court." - Tax: VAT, Legal 500 2021
Possesses a thorough understanding of a broad array of employment law issues. She is an expert in claims of discrimination or unfair dismissal, as well as cases with tax elements. "Georgia Hicks is a very client-friendly barrister." "She turns around important pieces of advice very quickly, she is versatile, she is very scholarly and she is very clear in her advice." - Employment, Chambers UK Bar 2022.
"Really good in the sessions with the witnesses and definitely puts them at ease. Gets on well with clients and fully understands the need to help solicitors manage their client relationships. Commercial and practical, and handles the hearing, including the cross-examination, well. Georgia is also firm without being aggressive, and knows how to handle a difficult litigant in person." - Employment, Legal 500 2022.
"She is adept at getting her head around complex multifaceted claims and in distilling the issues in a case." Acted for the taxpayer in Professional Game Match Officials Ltd v HMRC, which concerned the tax treatment and employment status of football referees. - Tax, Chambers UK 2020
"She makes a real contribution to a case team and is highly rated as an advocate." - Tax: VAT, Legal 500 2020
"She is becoming a notable practitioner in tax litigation." - Tax: VAT, Legal 500 2020
Georgia is recognised as leading junior by both Legal 500 (VAT, Tier 2) and Chambers and Partners (Band 3), where she is described as “a rising junior with strong expertise in employment taxes”.
She has a strong practice in tax litigation, regularly receiving instructions from both HMRC and the taxpayer, in the Court of Appeal, High Court, Upper Tribunal (Tax) and First-tier Tribunal. Her main areas of specialism are employment-related taxes, residency and domicile, with a particular expertise in employment status and the applicability of the intermediaries legislation (known as IR35), regularly representing and advising taxpayers on these issues. She is appointed to the Attorney General's Panel of Counsel (C Panel).
IR35
Recent notable cases include:
Taxation of Employees
Recent notable cases include:
DOTAS Cases
Georgia is regularly instructed by HMRC in DOTAS applications, including the following:
Judicial Review (Tax)
Residency / Domicile
Georgia is regularly instructed in domicile and residency cases, including the following:
Indirect Tax
Georgia is recognised as a leading junior in employment by both Legal 500 (leading junior; tier 4) and Chambers and Partners (Up and Coming).
Georgia has a strong and diverse practice in employment law. She has significant experience representing clients at the Employment Tribunal, including multiple-day hearings in whistleblowing and discrimination claims, and EAT. Georgia represents both claimants and respondents from both the private side (including some well- known brands) and the public side, regularly appearing for the Treasury Solicitors and the Metropolitan Police. In addition to her advocacy work, Georgia also has extensive advisory experience, developing a particular specialism in employment status– an area in which her experience in the tax field is invaluable.
Georgia edits Discrimination Law (Bloomsbury Professional), contributing to chapters on Discrimination in Education, Discrimination in the Provision of Goods and Services, Discrimination in the Provision of Premises and Housing, Discrimination in Clubs and Associations, and Exemptions.
EAT
Employment Status
Discrimination and Harassment
Georgia is highly experienced at dealing with discrimination, harassment, and victimisation complaints. Example cases from recent years include:
Breach of Contract
Unfair Dismissal
Whistleblowing
Unlawful Deduction of Wages and Human Trafficking
Redundancy and Unfair Dismissal
Georgia is forging a practice in sports law and accepts instructions in all aspects, including taxation, disciplinary matters, discrimination, employment, personal injury, and contractual disputes. She has led cases in her own right, including advising a firm of solicitors on how to issue proceedings abroad against a footballer, based in the Netherlands, now playing for a Russian club.
Georgia has appeared in a number of important and high-profile employment tax cases in the sports sector. She has represented the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd in their appeal against assessments to tax before the FTT ([2018] UKFTT 528 (TC) , UT ([2020] UKUT 147 (TCC) and CoA ([2021] EWCA Civ 1370). She was led by Jolyon Maugham QC in Tottenham Hotspur v HMRC (FTT and UT), which determined that payments made to players on their transfer to Stoke City FC were not “from employment” within the meaning of s.62 Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 and she represented a sports radio host in his IR35 appeal (Kickabout Productions Ltd v HMRC).
Georgia has extensive experience representing taxpayers in employment status and IR35 disputes with HMRC. As one of the leading juniors in this field, her advice is regularly sought by taxpayers on all matters relating to both IR35 litigation and reforms.
She also writes extensively on the subject: see her articles on PGMOL here; her article on the business on own account test here; and her article on the Court of Appeal decisions in Atholl House and Kickabout here.
Recent notable cases include:
ELA, FRU, ELBA, COMBAR, RBA, PNBA, PIBA, IFS
James Hunt Scholar (Advocacy) - Gray’s Inn
Ede and Ravenscroft Scholar (Advocacy) - Gray’s Inn
Birkenhead Scholar (Academic) - Gray’s Inn
David Karmel Scholar (Academic) - Gray’s Inn
The Norman Tapp Memorial Prize for Excellence in Mooting - Gray’s Inn
LawWorks & Attorney General Student Award, Best New Student Pro Bono Activity for Vocalise
Appointed to the Attorney General's Panel of Counsel (C Panel) in 2017
University of Oxford, BA (Hons) English Language and Literature (First Class)
City University GDL (Distinction)
City University London BPTC (Very Competent)