Ministers urged to resource HMRC properly

Ministers are being called to provide HMRC with the resources it needs to improve its service levels to both taxpayers and advisers.

The new President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT), Gary Ashford, urged ministers to resource HMRC properly as part of his inaugural speech at the institute’s annual general meeting yesterday.

He also called for the crypto assets and broader decentralised finance sector to be recognised as unique and given bespoke tax treatment, and said that any move towards greater regulation of tax agents should be based around professional body membership.

Commenting on service levels, Gary said, “Poor service levels at HMRC are not just a pain for taxpayers and advisers, they harm tax compliance, hinder business activity and hammer away at trust in the tax system. A strong economy needs an effective tax system.

“HMRC have 6,000 fewer customer service staff than they did five years ago. Now I’m a true believer in the power and the potential of technology. But cutting staff numbers now in anticipation of efficiencies from digitalisation which have not yet arrived, seems to me to be putting the cart before the horse.

“Ministers must resource HMRC properly for the job it has to do.”

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