There should be an independent watchdog to monitor the development of HMRC's online services, says the tax faculty at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales (ICAEW).

In its response to Lord Carter's review of the Revenue's online services, the Institute calls for an independent body similar to the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee in the USA. "The body would report on HMRC's progress against its published online strategy, encouraging the delivery of effective services to realistic timescales rather than flawed services to unrealistic timescales," said Paul Aplin, deputy chairman of the tax faculty.

The Institute also says it's opposed to compulsory e-filing. "Forcing taxpayers and agents to e-file using inadequately designed and tested services with insufficient capacity creates considerable resentment," said Aplin.

He added that the Institute was disappointed by HMRC's decision to withdraw the Electronic Lodgement service (ELS), before the Internet filing service has reached the same level of functionality and reliability. "The withdrawal of ELS at this juncture is particularly insensitive and only highlights the need for an independent overview of HMRC's policies on e-filing," he said.

The Institute's submission can be downloaded in full from the ICAEW website [1].

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