HMRC has been quietly developing agent toolkits for optional use, and is now ready for volunteer agents to try them out before they are made available widely.

The idea behind the agent toolkits is that they identify the key risks of mis-statement in relation to a particular tax issue, and provide the agent with simple tools to allow them to address these risks on behalf of their client.

The first toolkit relates to a fairly minority area in terms of agent numbers - Capital gains tax for trusts. However, more toolkits are under development including risk tools for the following areas :

• Marginal Small Company relief




• Capital Allowances on plant and machinery




• Capital Gains Tax on land and property




• Personal and private expenditure and




• Inheritance Tax.

By using the toolkits, which will be optional, agents will be able to satisfy themselves that the key risks which HMRC would want to address in any compliance check have already been addressed before the return is submitted, providing confidence that the return is correct. What this process allows for the future is for HMRC to rely in part on the work of the agent and to reduce the risk score for that client in respect of these aspects of the return. What it means now is that HMRC are willing to share their risk model in a limited way with agents.

Those with an interest in participating in limited trials can read more, and contact the project team here [1].