One minute with John Preston, current president of the CIOT.
What do you hope to achieve during your term in office as CIOT president?
We think it’s unhelpful for any president to think about trying to achieve something ‘in their year’. That would suggest that the focus of the CIOT should change each year depending on the specific interests of the president, and no organisation should work that way. Instead, we prefer to think about an individual’s four-year cycle as an officer during which time one can input into strategy more actively than one normally can as a regular council member. We are moving forward on a wide range of topics including, for example, improving diversity in the profession, encouraging a higher quality debate on major tax issues, reviewing our exams to ensure they meet the needs of today’s tax professional and enhancing our brand both in the UK and overseas – and I am doing all I can to encourage that.
If you could make one change to UK tax law or practice, what would it be?
I’d change the way Budgets are produced and tax policy made. The CIOT, in conjunction with the IFS and the Institute for Government, published a report in January entitled Better Budgets: making tax policy better. Moving to a single fiscal event each year was one recommendation we made (as did others) which has been adopted by government but there is so much more that could be done. We are continuing to encourage developments in this area.
Would you like to see a broader public debate on major areas of tax policy?
Very definitely. It is almost impossible these days for a politician to suggest a major tax reform because the moment one does so they are immediately pilloried as penalising a section of the community.
For example, the existence of zero rating and exemptions for VAT is aimed at reducing the regressive nature of the tax but it also grants tax reliefs to the better off in society who, arguably, don’t need them. One approach therefore, would be to eliminate all zero rates and exemptions and reimburse the lower paid through the benefits system instead. It would then be a political decision as to how to deal with any resulting increase in net tax revenue (e.g. by increasing spending or reducing tax rates). I’m not saying this is a good or a bad suggestion; merely that we ought to be able to debate it. However, no politician could realistically raise such an idea. Accordingly, the CIOT, working with the ICAEW and others is hoping to engage the public in a wider, better informed debate on major tax policy issues.
What is the greatest challenge facing the UK tax profession today?
Dealing with the challenges and opportunities arising from new technology. The nature of both compliance and advisory work will continue to change as a result of these new technologies and those who have the best training and qualifications (such as the chartered tax adviser qualification) will adapt most easily. Naturally I declare an interest in saying that, but I genuinely believe it.
Aside from your immediate colleagues, whom in tax do you most admire?
I could mention many people but if I can only pick one I choose John Andrews, a former CIOT president, for the fantastic job he did in making the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (which is a part of the CIOT) such a vibrant force.
Tell us a secret.
Well, I’m not sure it’s a secret but I’ve always been fascinated by both history and science (both real and fictional)! I suppose it’s a desire both to try to learn from the past and see what we can develop in the future. I suspect advances in the next 50 years will make the last 50 seem like we were standing still in technological terms by comparison.
One minute with John Preston, current president of the CIOT.
What do you hope to achieve during your term in office as CIOT president?
We think it’s unhelpful for any president to think about trying to achieve something ‘in their year’. That would suggest that the focus of the CIOT should change each year depending on the specific interests of the president, and no organisation should work that way. Instead, we prefer to think about an individual’s four-year cycle as an officer during which time one can input into strategy more actively than one normally can as a regular council member. We are moving forward on a wide range of topics including, for example, improving diversity in the profession, encouraging a higher quality debate on major tax issues, reviewing our exams to ensure they meet the needs of today’s tax professional and enhancing our brand both in the UK and overseas – and I am doing all I can to encourage that.
If you could make one change to UK tax law or practice, what would it be?
I’d change the way Budgets are produced and tax policy made. The CIOT, in conjunction with the IFS and the Institute for Government, published a report in January entitled Better Budgets: making tax policy better. Moving to a single fiscal event each year was one recommendation we made (as did others) which has been adopted by government but there is so much more that could be done. We are continuing to encourage developments in this area.
Would you like to see a broader public debate on major areas of tax policy?
Very definitely. It is almost impossible these days for a politician to suggest a major tax reform because the moment one does so they are immediately pilloried as penalising a section of the community.
For example, the existence of zero rating and exemptions for VAT is aimed at reducing the regressive nature of the tax but it also grants tax reliefs to the better off in society who, arguably, don’t need them. One approach therefore, would be to eliminate all zero rates and exemptions and reimburse the lower paid through the benefits system instead. It would then be a political decision as to how to deal with any resulting increase in net tax revenue (e.g. by increasing spending or reducing tax rates). I’m not saying this is a good or a bad suggestion; merely that we ought to be able to debate it. However, no politician could realistically raise such an idea. Accordingly, the CIOT, working with the ICAEW and others is hoping to engage the public in a wider, better informed debate on major tax policy issues.
What is the greatest challenge facing the UK tax profession today?
Dealing with the challenges and opportunities arising from new technology. The nature of both compliance and advisory work will continue to change as a result of these new technologies and those who have the best training and qualifications (such as the chartered tax adviser qualification) will adapt most easily. Naturally I declare an interest in saying that, but I genuinely believe it.
Aside from your immediate colleagues, whom in tax do you most admire?
I could mention many people but if I can only pick one I choose John Andrews, a former CIOT president, for the fantastic job he did in making the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (which is a part of the CIOT) such a vibrant force.
Tell us a secret.
Well, I’m not sure it’s a secret but I’ve always been fascinated by both history and science (both real and fictional)! I suppose it’s a desire both to try to learn from the past and see what we can develop in the future. I suspect advances in the next 50 years will make the last 50 seem like we were standing still in technological terms by comparison.
