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MPs question HMRC on scope of Job Retention Scheme


The Treasury Select Committee met remotely today (Wednesday 8 April) to take evidence from HMRC on the economic impact of coronavirus. The witnesses were Jim Harra, First Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive of HMRC, and Cerys McDonald, Director of HMRC’s COVID-19 policy co-ordination. Mel Stride, Conservative, is chair of the committee.

 

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Government unmoved on peers' concerns about Budget

Peers got the chance to debate the Chancellor’s Budget last week (18 March). The debate covered universal basic income, welfare benefits and the taxation of entrepreneurs, within the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Government was unmoved on most concerns about the Chancellor’s Budget, which itself has been overtaken by more recent announcements.

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MPs pass motion calling on HMRC to curb loan charge action

Questions of retrospection and unfairness exercised MPs in this debate about the Loan Charge, in the House of Commons this week (19). The context of the debate was Sir Amyas Morse’s review of the Loan Charge, published in December 2019.

 

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Budget debate concludes with MPs focused on coronavirus

The debates on the Budget this week were understandably held with the COVID-19 outbreak foremost in the minds of MPs. Conservatives generally praised the Budget and the goal of ‘levelling up’ the UK, while Labour said COVID-19 exposed the impact of the Conservatives’ 10 years of austerity. The Government announced a 12-month delay to the introduction of off-payroll working changes.

 

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MPs debate Budget tax measures on first two days of debate

Following Wednesday’s statement by the Chancellor, MPs are holding four days of debate on the measures in the Budget. The first two of these were Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 March. (The latter two days – Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 March – will be the subject of a future report.)

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A role for Entrepreneur’s Relief?

Much has been written over the last few weeks about Entrepreneur’s Relief (“ER”), many of them bemoaning the amount that the relief is “costing” (£2.7 billion last year), that it does not encourage start-ups and the fact that is only claimed by the rich. Therefore, there is lots of speculation that Entrepreneur’s Relief will be scrapped in the Budget.

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MP calls for zero VAT on listed properties

There was a debate on VAT on listed properties, in Westminster Hall, this week (4 March) led by the Conservative Craig Mackinlay, himself a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA).

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Pondering thorny issue of income tax in Wales

If the Welsh diverge upwards from English rates of income tax it might prompt some higher earners in Wales to relocate but the vast majority of people are unlikely to up sticks unless the income tax variations are very significant.

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Opposition day debate: Parties cross swords over tax gap

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell opened this Opposition Day debate on tax avoidance and evasion, by saying Conservative governments have failed to address tax avoidance and evasion while making ‘savage’ cuts to public services and undermining the social security net.

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Public want to see more spending and are open to higher taxes on wealth, say focus groups

The Budget will present new Chancellor Rishi Sunak with some tough choices. This week the IFS have pointed out that Sunak will have to raise taxes, break the Government’s fiscal rule or entrench austerity.

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