The Tax Track

Close companies and their directors are in HMRC’s sights as it attempts to close the small business tax gap. In this episode, we look at the challenges posed by new information requirements for directors completing their self assessment tax return for tax year 2025/26 and at the government’s proposals to impose additional reporting requirements on close companies. Links   ICAEW: New tax return req...

HMRC is stepping up its compliance activities when it comes to VAT. In this episode, we explain what businesses can do to prepare for a VAT enquiry and we explore how HMRC and the government could better support businesses in meeting their VAT obligations. Links   ICAEW: VAT compliance controls: new guidance from HMRC - https://www.icaew.com/insights/tax-news/2025/feb-2025/vat-compliance-controls-...

Finance Act 2026 introduces a package of measures designed to drive up standards in the tax advice market, including mandatory agent registration with HMRC. In this episode, we explain how the process will work and discuss the consequences for advisers of having their registration suspended. Links   ICAEW: HMRC’s agent registration guidance lacks key details -  https://www.icaew.com/insights/tax-n...

In recent months, the government has published guidance and announced policy changes that could significantly affect how tax returns are prepared and how HMRC enquiries are conducted. In this episode, we’ll explore the implications for taxpayers and agents, focusing on new HMRC guidelines for ensuring that a tax return is correct and complete and changes to the requirement to notify HMRC of an unc...

In a special episode of The Tax Track, recorded at ICAEW’s MTD Live event on 23 February 2026, we speak to HMRC and practitioners on how they are preparing for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for income tax, which is due to start from April 2026.     Links  ICAEW: Making Tax Digital - https://www.icaew.com/technical/tax/making-tax-digital ICAEW: TAXguide 01/25: MTD income tax - https://www.icaew.com/tech...

The Finance Bill 2025-26 is set to be the longest Finance Act in almost ten years, impacting on almost all areas of tax and posing significant challenges for taxpayers and agents. In this episode, we look at the implications for individuals and businesses, from the reform of inheritance tax to changes to capital allowances.   Links  ICAEW: https://www.icaew.com/technical/tax/tax-faculty/taxguides/...

In this episode, we rate the Budget against ICAEW’s ten tenets for a better tax system , focusing on the government’s decision to freeze the personal allowance and tax thresholds for an additional three years, the new tax on electric vehicles and changes to the NIC treatment of salary sacrificed pension contributions.  Budget: Freeze on personal allowance extended - https://www.icaew.com/insights/...

From April 2026, an estimated 864,000 sole traders and landlords will need to comply with Making Tax Digital (MTD) for income tax. In this episode, we look at recent developments, including HMRC’s plans to contact taxpayers, and we draw on the experience of special guest Rebecca Benneyworth to explain what you can do to prepare for the challenges ahead. Making Tax Digital - https://www.icaew.com/t...

In this episode of The Tax Track, we look ahead to the 2024/25 tax return season, highlighting areas to watch out for, and explain our concerns with draft legislation for Finance Bill 2025/26 that promises to make significant changes to the tax system, particularly for agents.   Links  ICAEW has major concerns about draft Finance Bill legislation - https://www.icaew.com/insights/tax-news/2025/sep-...

Whether it’s performance or policy, there’s rarely an episode of The Tax Track that doesn’t mention HMRC. In this special episode we talk to one of the senior leaders at HMRC, Jonathan Athow, Director General for Customer Strategy and Tax Design. The government’s stated priorities for HMRC are to modernise and reform the tax system, improve customer service and close the tax gap; Athow explains ho...

July was a busy month for HMRC as it published its annual accounts and report for 2024/25, along with its transformation roadmap and draft legislation for Finance Bill 2025/26.  In this episode of The Tax Track we look at the challenges HMRC faces, from improving its services to taxpayers and agents to closing the tax gap; its plans for new and improved digital services; and the possible implicati...

Simple assessment and real-time reporting for capital gains tax (CGT) are two ways for HMRC and taxpayers to sidestep self assessment for income and gains. HMRC sent out a record number of simple assessments for 2023/24. We explain what they are and explore some of the problem areas. We also explain how the often overlooked real-time reporting for CGT works and look at current issues with CGT repo...

On 6 April 2025, the longstanding rules for UK-resident, non-UK domiciled individuals – non-doms – were abolished and replaced with a new regime for foreign income and gains (FIG) that is based on residence.  The abolition of domicile as a concept is one of the biggest changes in taxation for many years. In this episode of The Tax Track, we’ll get behind the headlines and consider the pros and con...

What do marshmallows and hair transplants have in common? Yes, they’ve both been subject to recent court cases regarding VAT treatment. And yes, this episode of The Tax Track is all about VAT. As well as examining issues with VAT borderlines, we talk about the prospects for reform, look forward to the Institute’s forthcoming VAT conference and discuss the pros and cons of e-invoicing. Links How to...

Ownership of cryptoassets may be on the rise, but many myths persist when it comes to how they taxed. This episode looks at how accountants can help clients to meet their tax obligations. We look at the tax treatment of cryptoassets and discuss what HMRC is doing to improve compliance and raise awareness, from adding a new box in the tax return to implementing the cryptoasset reporting framework....

Maintaining high professional standards is essential, both for individual accountants and for the profession as a whole. This episode of The Tax Track looks at the importance of protecting your professional reputation and, importantly, what members can do to ensure they get things right in the first place. Tax is complicated – and constantly changing – so CPD is important, as well as being an inte...

In recent years we’ve seen changes to the rules, to processes and to HMRC’s approach to policing claims for research and development (R&D) tax relief. In this episode we map out the current landscape to help you navigate your way through it. In an attempt to clamp down on fraud, more R&D claims are being checked, but is this deterring genuine claims? We also look at a new HMRC facility to...

Two significant changes will take place from April 2026: Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD IT) and mandatory payrolling of benefits in kind.  While April 2026 is over a year away, these changes will require a lot of planning including how workflows and information flows will need to change. MTD IT will require many individuals to keep digital records and send quarterly updates to HMRC, while...

Bookended by a Conservative Budget in the spring and a Labour Budget in the autumn, 2024 was a busy year in politics and in tax. In this episode of The Tax Track, we reflect on key measures from the recent Budget and consider areas that kept us busy during 2024 and will do again in 2025, including regulation of tax agents and HMRC service levels. Links Autumn Budget 2024 https://www.icaew.com/tech...

In this episode we’ll be talking about the problems with VAT and why ICAEW is launching a new campaign, How to Fix VAT. Introduced in the UK some 50 years ago, VAT is now the UK’s third largest source of tax revenue, behind income tax and national insurance contributions. But, it can be costly and complicated to comply with, and that’s despite previous efforts at simplification. Links The complica...

The abolition of the furnished holiday lettings (FHL) rules from April 2025 was announced in the Spring Budget. Following the general election, the Labour government confirmed that it would proceed with the measure, and provided more details in the form of draft legislation, an explanatory note and a policy paper. While some of the detail may change as the legislation is finalised, there will be t...

Making Tax Digital income tax self assessment (MTD ITSA) will start in April 2026 for the self-employed and those with income from property with gross income of more than £50,000. It has been described as the biggest change to affect tax agents and their clients since 1996/97 when self assessment was introduced. This episode of The Tax Track looks at what agents need to do now to ensure that their...

Basis period reform is an important issue at the moment, with 2023/24 a transitional year. We look at the impact of this for businesses filling in their tax returns. Where an individual’s accounting date deviates from the tax year, there are additional boxes to complete on the tax return for 2023/24, and quite likely additional tax to pay too. The team also gazes into the Tax Faculty crystal ball...

A damning report from the National Audit Office in May this year concluded what many have long suspected, that customer service from HMRC is falling ‘far below’ expected levels. In this episode of The Tax Track, we look at the problem, its impact and potential solutions. The figures are damning, with call waiting times soaring by over 350% over the past five years and just 67% of calls being answe...

In this episode of The Tax Track, we discuss HMRC’s plans to mandate the payrolling of benefits in kind, and look at the implications of a recent tax case. With the payrolling of all benefits in kind set to be mandatory from 2025/26, we examine whether this really is the simplification it’s meant to be, and what employers and agents can do now to smooth the way. Plus, a recent tax tribunal case hi...