The liquidators of the "oldco" Rangers Football Club have been permitted to take an appeal against the so-called big tax case ruling to the UK's highest court.

Lawyers acting for finance firm BDO were granted leave to appeal to the UK Supreme Court following a hearing at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Tuesday.

BDO is bidding to overturn a ruling that payments made under a tax avoidance scheme should have been subject to income tax.

HM Revenue and Customs successfully argued to the court in November that millions of pounds worth of cash loans made to employees of Rangers from 2001 to 2009 should have been treated as contractual earnings.

It had been successfully argued at two previous tax tribunals that the employee benefit trusts (EBTs), implemented by Sir David Murray and also used at a number of his other companies, should not have been subject to tax.

In court, HMRC argued the payments had technically been "earned" by employees as they were made as consideration for their services.

The scheme, it was claimed, was "a mere redirection of earnings which did not remove the liability of employees to income tax". HMRC's third attempt was allowed on those grounds, with the court agreeing its argument was correct.

HMRC believes employee benefit trusts were used by the club's then-owners to avoid paying tax on the earnings of players and executives.

On Tuesday, judges Lord Carloway, Lord Menzies and Lord Drummond Young granted BDO leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Lord Carloway said the judges had allowed the case to go to the Supreme Court because of the implications that it had for similar cases.

HMRC is believed to be pursuing a number of major English football clubs over claims they used employee benefit trusts inappropriately.

Lord Carloway said: "The court is of the of the view that there is an arguable point in law of public interest which should allow the appeal to the UK Supreme Court to proceed.

"There are significant issues in this case which may apply to other similar situations."

In November 2015, judges Lord Carloway, Lord Menzies and Lord Drummond Young ruled in favour of HMRC's assessment of how Rangers used employment benefit trusts between 2001 and 2009. The club paid tens of millions of pounds into these trusts.

The current owners are not liable for the tax bill of the "oldco". Lawyers acting for HMRC went to the Court of Session after an initial ruling by a First Tier and Upper Tribunal.

The tribunals ruled against the taxman. However, BDO believes HMRC's position is incorrect and the UK Supreme Court should issue a ruling in the case.

On Tuesday, the advocate acting for BDO, Roddy Dunlop QC, said that the Court of Session's ruling from last year "created tensions" with previous decisions on similar cases.

Mr Dunlop told the court there were precedents available to show "redirected earnings" into trusts should not incur tax.

The lawyer told the court taxation experts were "surprised" by the court's decision. He showed the court a series of newspaper articles written by people who thought the court's decision was incorrect and had caused "consternation" among tax experts.

Mr Dunlop added: "I would ask for my lords to allow the application to be allowed."

Lawyers for HMRC argued the Court of Session decision was correct and the application should be refused but the judges allowed BDO leave to appeal to the Supreme Court in London.

It will decide whether or not to hear the appeal at some time in the near future.