Making tax digital is top of HMRC’s agenda for the future because the government is committed to reducing burdens for taxpayers and building a transparent and accessible tax system fit for the digital age.
At Budget 2015, the government set out the vision for a transformed tax system. In December 2015 the government launched the Making Tax Digital Roadmap which sets out the vision for how this would be achieved, making HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) into one of the most digitally-advanced tax administrations in the world by 2020.
As HMRC say:
“Because of the scale of these changes there is a lot we need to ask people about. We have published 6 consultation documents, each focusing on specific customer groups or specific elements of the Making Tax Digital reforms. Not everyone will have an interest in all of the areas covered”.
To support this HMRC have issued several consultation documents on the subject which can be found here.
The consultation period runs until 7 November 2016.
To support this, HMRC running a programme of webinars and face-to-face events across the UK which will provide more detail on the consultations and provide an opportunity to ask questions and give feedback.
Face-to-face events
Those who are interested in attending a face-to-face event can email HMRC using the following link to register their interest. HMRC need to know:
The nearest city the consultation document or subject area of interestThey will respond with details of the date, time and location of an event.
Webinars
Live webinars last for an hour. Questions can be asked during the presentation and replies will be given by HMRC.
Registration must be made in advance, just click on one of the links below.
Live webinars
9 September 2016, 11am to midday
15 September 2016, 11am to midday
22 September 2016, 11am to midday
Learn Comment
With good timing, a report published by Economia following research carried out by FreeAgent suggests a worrying lack of awareness of HMRC’s plans for tax digitalisation:
43% of micro-business owners and freelancers do not know about the plans 86% of those who are aware of HMRC’s Making tax Digital campaign, have not received enough information about the plans and how the government’s proposals will affect small business owners However, only 8% of those surveyed said they feel negatively about the government’s digitisation plans while 27% feel positive about the proposals.The efforts being made by HMRC to raise awareness are, therefore, a good thing.
