In his inaugural speech, new CIOT president, Gary Ashford, has urged ministers to provide HMRC with the resources needed to improve service levels to taxpayers and advisers.
‘Poor service levels at HMRC are not just a pain for taxpayers and advisers, they harm tax compliance, hinder business activity and hammer away at trust in the tax system. A strong economy needs an effective tax system,’ Ashford said.
‘HMRC has 6,000 fewer customer service staff than it did five years ago. Now I’m a true believer in the power and the potential of technology. But cutting staff numbers now in anticipation of efficiencies from digitalisation which have not yet arrived, seems to me to be putting the cart before the horse. Ministers must resource HMRC properly for the job it has to do.’
Ashford also spoke about the impact of artificial intelligence on the tax profession, saying that while ‘chatbots’ such as Chat GPT are not about to replace tax advisers, they will require the profession to adapt. ‘There isn’t a lot of space in the profession these days for people who can’t use a spreadsheet or the internet. In a few years’ time it could be the same with AI,’ he said.
In a wide ranging speech, Ashford also called for:
cryptoassets and the broader decentralised finance sector to be recognised as unique, and given bespoke tax treatment;
pressure to be kept on the government to embed simplification into tax policy processes; and
any move towards greater regulation of tax agents to be based around professional body membership.
In his inaugural speech, new CIOT president, Gary Ashford, has urged ministers to provide HMRC with the resources needed to improve service levels to taxpayers and advisers.
‘Poor service levels at HMRC are not just a pain for taxpayers and advisers, they harm tax compliance, hinder business activity and hammer away at trust in the tax system. A strong economy needs an effective tax system,’ Ashford said.
‘HMRC has 6,000 fewer customer service staff than it did five years ago. Now I’m a true believer in the power and the potential of technology. But cutting staff numbers now in anticipation of efficiencies from digitalisation which have not yet arrived, seems to me to be putting the cart before the horse. Ministers must resource HMRC properly for the job it has to do.’
Ashford also spoke about the impact of artificial intelligence on the tax profession, saying that while ‘chatbots’ such as Chat GPT are not about to replace tax advisers, they will require the profession to adapt. ‘There isn’t a lot of space in the profession these days for people who can’t use a spreadsheet or the internet. In a few years’ time it could be the same with AI,’ he said.
In a wide ranging speech, Ashford also called for:
cryptoassets and the broader decentralised finance sector to be recognised as unique, and given bespoke tax treatment;
pressure to be kept on the government to embed simplification into tax policy processes; and
any move towards greater regulation of tax agents to be based around professional body membership.
