The changing face of taxes

By Carol Barrie on Sep 25, 08 05:05 PM in Tax

It has today been announced that BBC newsreader Moira Stuart will take over from BBC presenter Adam Hart-Davies as the new face of HMRC's tax advertisements.

She will follow in Adam Hart-Davies' footsteps in urging taxpayers to file their returns on time but she will also be urging them to file online.

I am all in favour of using technology to reduce work and speed things up but with recent stories about lack of computer security by HMRC ringing in their ears, some taxpayers may be sceptical about adopting online filing.

Currently taxpayers still have a choice. It is almost inevitable that eventually they will not. If so, it is vital that HMRC work on increasing customers' (their new name for taxpayers) confidence in the system.

Would you file your return online?

The other interesting point surrounding the announcement is that in a Radio Five Live interview earlier this year Adam Hart-Davies, whose slogan was, "Tax doesn't need to be taxing," stated that he believed that the system was, "too complex especially for the self-employed," and that "VAT is absurdly complicated."

Is this the reason for the change of face we might ask?

But there is a real issue here and that is, that our tax system really is too complicated, not just for the man in the street, but for business also.

The British Chambers of Commerce whose job it is to support British Business have clearly picked up on this and are hosting a round-table debate at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham next week entitled "Simpler Tax for Maximum Business Growth."

It is a subject dear to my heart and I am delighted to have been asked to participate.

A great initiative by the British Chambers of Commerce, let us hope that the politicians can be made to listen before they drive more business out of the UK or even out of business altogether.