"An internal review of HM Revenue & Customs' 'Business Records Checks' initiative found that it had been poorly targeted, overstated how much it would collect for the Treasury and damaged the taxman's relationship with accountants and business groups.
The scheme will be relaunched "early in the next financial year" with a "fresh approach", HMRC said.
Accountants, Conservative backbenchers and business groups had complained that business owners were being "harassed and mistreated" by a pilot version of the scheme."
I believe this was issued late on Friday evening, so no doubt John and the folks at AWeb will provide a more in-depth analysis on Monday.
However, I am encouraged that HMRC have taken action given what many of us have been saying over many months about BRC's.
Related resources
Replies (3)
Please login or register to join the discussion.
HMRC resources
Did HMRC ever really have the resources to successfully carry out tens of thousands of BRC checks and deal with the typical 18 months + of correspondence that (in my experience) is par for the course with most 'in depth' tax enquiries?
For BRC checks to be effective you also need experienced tax inspectors ... just the sort of people they have lost over the past 10 years.
re launch with a fresh approach ? In april ?
perhaps it didn't waste enough resources....or has already met budgeted wastage !
I give up !!
If they were concerned about missing tax ? They could just do more COP9 enquiries
There seems to be a never ending drive to dream up new ideas and laws when they have not used the last lot to any effect..........
I agree
I agree fully with 0103953 and thanks to frustrated for the heads-up.
However how many times have we responded to the "threat culture" of HMRC (and others) who seem to succeed in making us think they have the resources?
The IR35 "blitz that never was" springs immediately to mind.....