News

Leading tax adviser and commentator Heather Self and former cabinet minister David Gauke have been honoured for their outstanding contributions to the field of taxation by the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT).

The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) suggests the Government looks to make the £500 Test and Trace support lump sum payments free from income tax. This will make them simple for people to understand and less expensive to administer. LITRG is also concerned that the current proposals mean people risk an unexpected tax debt.

The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) is concerned to learn of several issues, including some originating from HMRC, that meant people who were trying to agree loan charge settlements were unable to meet the recent deadline. It has led the tax campaign group to urge HMRC to use their powers to help people who tried to agree settlements but fell at the final hurdle.

The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) of the Chartered Institute of Taxation has backed a call to make the new self-isolation support payments free of income tax and said this should apply across the UK.

The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has welcomed a call by the Public Accounts Committee for HMRC to assess whether the administrative burden that ‘Making Tax Digital’ is imposing on taxpayers is reasonable and affordable before proceeding with further national roll out of the project.

As the Government’s call for evidence on pensions tax relief administration¹ closes this week, the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) urges swift action to end the injustice that an estimated 1.5 to 1.75 million² people on low incomes (mostly women) are charged 25 per cent more for their pension contributions due to the way their employers’ pensions schemes operate.

The announcement that the UK Budget will be delayed until 2021 – with an expectation it will be in March – combined with the expected dissolution of the Scottish Parliament ahead of the elections in May next year, could leave MSPs with just a couple of weeks to agree on Scotland’s taxes for next year if last minute changes are needed.

The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) is warning people that they have until next Wednesday (30) to meet their loan charge reporting and payment obligations. The tax campaign group is particularly urging anyone who has worked through 'umbrella' companies to double-check whether they are liable to the loan charge.

The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) is calling for a rethink of plans for large businesses to notify HMRC if they adopt an uncertain tax treatment. The CIOT says the proposal is unclear, unfair and will lead to onerous demands on affected businesses.

The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has given a cautious welcome to a government proposal for an ultimate legal requirement for anyone who wants to provide tax advice on a commercial basis to belong to a recognised professional body. The CIOT said an alternative proposal for a new government regulator of tax advisers would be costly and ineffective. The Institute was responding to a HMRC call for evidence on options to raise standards in the market for tax advice to benefit taxpayers and to better protect the public purse.¹