News: July 2011

What do you think of HMRC?

Probably unwise to ask you that, but do you recognise the following thoughts?

• HMRC sees the small business area as a source of tax leakage and as a result of its robust approach it is feared by many small businesses
• Small businesses and their advisers spend too much time sorting out HMRC errors
• HMRC needs to communicate better with taxpayers
• HMRC staff need to be well trained
• The tax legislation is over complicated
• What businesses want more than anything else is certainty in tax

Nothing of any surprise in those thoughts, but encouragingly they have been expressed by the Office of Tax Simplification which has to report to the Government on ways of reducing the administrative burden of the tax system on small businesses.

If they continue to come out and tell the Government how it really is, like they have just done, there is hope for meaningful change in the near future.

That will probably involve simplified tax measures for small businesses on a variety of issues and we will keep right up to date to use them for your benefit as and when available.