useful to amend the Regulations at this late stage. We will of course ensure that this is not replicated in the next set of Regulations.
Better Regulation
MAKING TAX EASIER, QUICKER AND SIMPLER FOR SMALL BUSINESS
4 April 2012
HMRC has published a response to the Office of Tax Simplification’s (OTS) small business tax review.
The Budget document responded in broad terms to many of the OTS’s proposals for administrative improvements to the tax system. This separate paper provides a comprehensive response to all of the OTS’s specific tax administration recommendations.
Making tax easier, quicker and simpler for small business
CONSULTANCYONE FRAMEWORK GOOD NEWS FOR SMES?
18 February 2013
A new single route for Government to buy consultancy services – where there is a clear business case in line with Cabinet Office controls – will make it cheaper, end reliance on big business, and give more work to smaller firms, Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, announced . Awarded this week, the first phase of the new ConsultancyONE framework developed by Government Procurement Service (GPS) is expected to deliver significant reductions in consultancy day rates by at least 20%. The new consultancy framework will replace all existing arrangements for central government departments and can also be used by organisations across the UK public sector. It offers a wider choice of suppliers with more competitive, innovative solutions than ever before – 47% of the successful firms are not existing framework suppliers. Smaller providers have been given more opportunities to win government business with 27% of first phase suppliers being small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In addition, SMEs have been awarded places on lots which have historically been dominated by large firms. This is seen on the multi-specialism delivery advice lot where 25% of providers are SMEs. Francis Maude said: We’ve already put an end to excessive consultancy spend by establishing stringent controls which have slashed the cost to the taxpayer by 85% and saved over £1 billion in 2011/12 compared to the level of spending in 2009/10. But we want to go even further in changing how Government buys in consultancy services by introducing a new single framework which saves even more money for the taxpayer and ends our reliance on larger suppliers. With SMEs making up over 27% of suppliers on this first phase of the framework, we’re creating more opportunities and boosting business for smaller providers where we know greater value and innovation can be found.
In addition to the changes to permit more SMEs to bid for contracts, new rules that will allow government departments to ban companies and individuals which take part in failed tax
CIPP Policy News Journal
12/04/2013, Page 27 of 362
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