Just curious where the quarter of a million affected taxpayers comes from: the TIIN said that “There are an estimated 528,000 sole traders and partners with non-tax year basis periods” https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basis-period-reform/basis-per... although it also said “We estimate that this [increased admin burden from having to estimate profit figures & submit amended returns] will affect approximately 278,000 sole traders and partners.” Baffled: have emailed asking for a copy of the Sekrit Consultation..
As it says in the TIIN “ HMRC would need to make changes to its IT systems to support safe and timely delivery of this policy. There is also likely to be impact on HMRC contact centres in supporting taxpayers adjust to this change” but I’d like to see how much goes to which!
...which is really my point. If we don’t want to move into a world of “computer says no” we need to make our feelings known, right now. Write to your MP, put something in your client newsletter encouraging them to do the same, lobby your professional association, tweet the everloving heck out of it, whatever.
But then IR35 is a sticking plaster over the open wound that is false and dubious self-employment. Personally I’d design it out of the system ... but that’s a whole other article!
Don’t be daft. Selling off IR properties to a tax haven company took the rents out of UK tax. Amazon apparently lives in Dublin even when a British person buys something and it’s picked, packed & delivered to their door by a British taxpayer. The owner of a business puts the shares in his wife’s name and she’s domiciled offshore ... You don’t understand why the ordinary taxpayer gets annoyed by shenanigans? Saying that’s tax law isn’t really an answer when the question is couldn’t we make better tax law, surely?
The OTS - like the Admin Burden Advisory Board - is stymied by not having any “ordinary” people on board. Tax muggles, civilians, call them what you will. People who can cut through the “it’s complicated” arguments & say “yes, maybe it’s complicated to decide whether a jaffa cake is a cake or a biscuit, but what daft so-and-so designed a law where that mattered???”
I think the most important point is that, if you have strong opinions on this, the time to share them with the OTS is now, while it's still an idea and not a concrete proposal. The OTS are, quite rightly, calling for evidence. Give them your evidence (and your better ideas) and maybe we can turn this around.
My answers
Just curious where the quarter of a million affected taxpayers comes from: the TIIN said that “There are an estimated 528,000 sole traders and partners with non-tax year basis periods” https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basis-period-reform/basis-per... although it also said “We estimate that this [increased admin burden from having to estimate profit figures & submit amended returns] will affect approximately 278,000 sole traders and partners.” Baffled: have emailed asking for a copy of the Sekrit Consultation..
As it says in the TIIN “ HMRC would need to make changes to its IT systems to support safe and timely delivery of this policy. There is also likely to be impact on HMRC contact centres in supporting taxpayers adjust to this change” but I’d like to see how much goes to which!
I don’t think OTS would be my go-to organisation for pushback, tbh!
...which is really my point. If we don’t want to move into a world of “computer says no” we need to make our feelings known, right now. Write to your MP, put something in your client newsletter encouraging them to do the same, lobby your professional association, tweet the everloving heck out of it, whatever.
The only possible reply to that is (insert facepalm emoji, or possibly one of those “wtf” gifs!)
But then IR35 is a sticking plaster over the open wound that is false and dubious self-employment. Personally I’d design it out of the system ... but that’s a whole other article!
Don’t be daft. Selling off IR properties to a tax haven company took the rents out of UK tax. Amazon apparently lives in Dublin even when a British person buys something and it’s picked, packed & delivered to their door by a British taxpayer. The owner of a business puts the shares in his wife’s name and she’s domiciled offshore ... You don’t understand why the ordinary taxpayer gets annoyed by shenanigans? Saying that’s tax law isn’t really an answer when the question is couldn’t we make better tax law, surely?
Hey, *I* wasn’t surprised!
The OTS - like the Admin Burden Advisory Board - is stymied by not having any “ordinary” people on board. Tax muggles, civilians, call them what you will. People who can cut through the “it’s complicated” arguments & say “yes, maybe it’s complicated to decide whether a jaffa cake is a cake or a biscuit, but what daft so-and-so designed a law where that mattered???”
I think the most important point is that, if you have strong opinions on this, the time to share them with the OTS is now, while it's still an idea and not a concrete proposal. The OTS are, quite rightly, calling for evidence. Give them your evidence (and your better ideas) and maybe we can turn this around.