Powers of HMRC and Making Tax Digital reports debated
4 Apr 2019 11:33 AM
Today the House of Lords is debating two reports from the Economic Affairs Finance Bill Sub-Committee: The Powers of HMRC: Treating Taxpayers Fairly and Making Tax Digital for VAT: Treating Small Businesses Fairly.
The reports
The Powers of HMRC: Treating Taxpayers Fairly, published on 4 December 2018, examines developments in the balance of powers and safeguards between Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the taxpayer.
Making Tax Digital for VAT: Treating Small Businesses Fairly, published on 22 November 2018, considers the progress of the ‘Making Tax Digital’ programme since the Sub-Committee’s March 2017 report, Making Tax Digital for Business.
The debate
When opening the debate, the Chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee and its Finance Bill Sub-Committee, Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, covered topics such as:
- Taxpayer safeguards and access to justice;
- HMRC culture;
- The Loan Charge;
- The cost of Making Tax Digital for VAT (MTD for VAT) to businesses;
- The readiness of businesses for MTD for VAT;
- The rationale and timetable for the overall Making Tax Digital programme.
Other members of the House of Lords that spoke in this debate include:
Further information