Govt to create Office for Tax Simplification
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The Government is set to unveil plans for an Office for Tax Simplification in a bid to make the UK more attractive to foreign investors.
George Osborne (pictured) announced the Conservative policy two years’ ago when he was Shadow Chancellor and it followed a report by former Tory Chancellor Lord Howe.
The Office for Tax Simplification will be tasked with looking at potential reforms that could streamline the tax system, such as changes to reliefs, allowances and exemptions.
Exchequer secretary to the Treasury David Gauke will later say that the new office will help to “give our economy the boost it so urgently needs in the years ahead”.
According to the BBC, the new body will be chaired by Michael Jack and its director will be John Whiting.
Gauke is expected to say later: “The tax system created by the previous government was overly complex and has made the tax affairs of millions of families and businesses across the UK extremely complicated.
“We need to reduce the complexities in our tax system and the coalition is committed to delivering that goal.”
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Readers' comments (5)
Dale Tranter | 20 Jul 2010 9:23 am
We already have an Office for budgetary responsibility and now an Office for tax simolification. why keep creating more new 'offices' with jobs for the boys? I thought the Treasury already had an army of civil servants capable of looking at remodelling at the tax system.....
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AJ, Glasgow | 20 Jul 2010 9:44 am
It looks as if some well meaning attempts to cut down on Whitehall bureacracy are being met with.... more quangos. Sounds very like Jim Hacker's Department of Administrative Affairs.
Eh well, the bureacracy is expanding to cope with the expanding bureacracy ....
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John Pickles | 20 Jul 2010 11:31 am
One of the things they could do to simplify income tax would be to amalgamate Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions.
I bet they don't have the stomach to do that though as it would make it much more obvious to the general public just how high the tax on earned income really is.
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Simon Honey | 20 Jul 2010 1:58 pm
John,
Now your idea is so simple but would clearly be to complicated to implement!!
No I mean it would be too transparent, and therefore the electorate might find out, god forbid.
I can see it being a winner, but what about the over 65's who pay no NI, how do you deal with that.
I am for anything that makes the tax system easier, but it will always throw up new issues.
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Anonymous | 21 Jul 2010 11:49 am
Hope the tax simplification is better than the previous government's Pension Simplification. Do they understand what the word means? We do not want simplification with numerous caveats.
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