HMRC guidance is an important and desirable feature of the tax system, on which the recent strategic review from the Office of Tax Simplification provides critical and timely recommendations. Key recommendations include a ‘new model’ for guidance that makes greater use of technology and clearly identifies three levels of complexity: simple for the majority of individual taxpayers; more advanced for businesses; and technical for tax advisers. Though only one recommendation expressly refers to the ability to rely upon HMRC guidance, the other proposals (if implemented) will lead to greater protection for taxpayers in terms of reliance.
The OTS’s recommendations on HMRC guidance provides some hope that in the future reliance on guidance will be less risky, writes Stephen Daly (King’s College London).
HMRC guidance is an important and desirable feature of the tax system, on which the recent strategic review from the Office of Tax Simplification provides critical and timely recommendations. Key recommendations include a ‘new model’ for guidance that makes greater use of technology and clearly identifies three levels of complexity: simple for the majority of individual taxpayers; more advanced for businesses; and technical for tax advisers. Though only one recommendation expressly refers to the ability to rely upon HMRC guidance, the other proposals (if implemented) will lead to greater protection for taxpayers in terms of reliance.
The OTS’s recommendations on HMRC guidance provides some hope that in the future reliance on guidance will be less risky, writes Stephen Daly (King’s College London).