Policy News Journal - 2012-13

 the taxable turnover threshold which determines whether a person may apply for deregistration will be increased from £71,000 to £75,000; and  the registration and deregistration threshold for relevant acquisitions from other EU Member States will also be increased from £73,000 to £77,000.

The simplified reporting requirement (three line accounts) for the income tax Self Assessment return will continue to be aligned with the VAT registration threshold.

Tax simplification for small businesses

Following the Office of Tax Simplification review of small business taxation, the Government will consult on introducing a voluntary cash basis for unincorporated businesses up to the VAT registration threshold, with a view to introducing legislation in Finance Bill 2013.

It will also consult on a simplified expenses system for business use of cars, motorcycles and home.

Finally, the Government will also consult on proposals to introduce a disincorporation relief. The consultation will look at the potential demand for such a relief as well as the practicalities of how it would work. CIPP comment: The CIPP welcomes the Chancellor’s announcement to radically change the tax system for small business, making tax returns simpler for up to 3 million firms with a turnover of up to £77,000. Tax Transparency The Government wants all taxpayers to benefit from greater transparency in the tax system, so they understand what taxes they pay and how much. HMRC will provide more accessible information to all taxpayers on their tax affairs. In April, it will launch an online Business Tax Dashboard, which will offer a quick and easy way for businesses to see how much tax they have already paid and how much they still owe. And from 2014/15, HMRC will also improve transparency for individual taxpayers. A new Personal Tax Statement will be available to all individuals who file their Self Assessment return online (and some taxpayers in PAYE). It will detail how much tax and National Insurance they have paid, average tax rates and show them how those deductions contribute to public expenditure. CIPP comment: The CIPP looks forward to seeing a draft version of this statement as the detail it contains may reduce the number of enquiries received by payroll departments from employees. Following consultation with a wide range of different stakeholders, the Chancellor announced a detailed consultation on integrating the operation of income tax and National Insurance which will be published shortly after Budget. It will set out a broad range of options for the operation of employee, employer and self employed NICs. The Government will continue to engage with representatives from small business during the forthcoming consultation. CIPP comment: Members of the CIPP Policy team have already been involved in the consultation to date and expect this involvement to continue with the forthcoming formal consultation. As ever, we will be relying on CIPP members to provide feedback when the time comes. Integration of income tax and National Insurance contributions

CIPP Policy News Journal

12/04/2013, Page 147 of 362

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