News
You have reached our two part News Archive. Previous articles can be accessed in two ways, either by going to a particular year or by scrolling down page by page. You can also go to a separate archive of Deadline and Reminder articles which aim to alert readers month by month of issues that they should consider in that particular month. Be careful how you use archive material as it will have been correct when published but as the world of tax changes so often it is unwise to rely upon it now.
- HMRC Helpline numbers – a change for the better LITRG welcomes the move to 0300 numbers for HMRC’s VAT, National Insurance, income tax and self assessment helplines. These should result in better services for taxpayers on low incomes who have for too long faced disproportionate charges. We believe that other HMRC helplines will follow over the coming months. 17 June 2013
- Enquiry Centre closures must not disadvantage vulnerable taxpayers - LITRG Press Release Responding to a consultation on the pilot closure of HMRC Enquiry Centres in the North East, the LITRG are urging HMRC to cater for taxpayers’ and tax credits claimants’ individual needs, focusing on service delivery and not cost cutting. 29 May 2013
- Tax credits: Campaigners urge HMRC to educate claimants to reduce errors - LITRG Press Release Ahead of the Public Accounts Committee report on ‘HM Revenue & Customs: tax credits error and fraud’ (published Wednesday 22 May), LITRG issued a press release highlighting the need for HMRC to differentiate between the terms ‘error’ and ‘fraud’ and for HMRC to tailor its actions to reflect the difference between the two. 22 May 2013
- PAYE tax calculations 2012/13 – what to do Employees and pensioners have tax taken off them throughout the year via Pay As You Earn (PAYE). In most cases, this means you pay the correct tax by the end of the year; but not always. This guide explains what to do if HMRC send you a tax calculation (a ‘P800’) for 2012/13. 21 May 2013
- LITRG welcomes new helplines for Child Benefit, Guardian’s Allowance, Employers and Online Services Helpdesk LITRG has campaigned for many years for HMRC to offer telephone helplines that do not result in disproportionate charges for the most vulnerable in society. We welcome HMRC’s announcement that all four helplines will change to 0300 numbers with immediate effect. These changes follow the introduction of a 0345 helpline for tax credits in 2011. We will continue to press for similar changes to HMRC’s other helplines. 23 April 2013
- The new tax year and changes to the tax-free allowance – essential checks needed by savers and pensioners - LITRG Press Release As interest rates continue at an historical low, savers need to count every penny. With this in mind, the LITRG are encouraging low-income savers, often pensioners, to check they are not overpaying unnecessary tax on their interest. 22 April 2013
- PAYE shake-up means students need to check their tax - LITRG Press Release The LITRG are encouraging students to check they are not overpaying their taxes. 16 April 2013
- LITRG welcomes HMRC rethink on Extra-statutory Concession A19 review HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have confirmed that they will not revise the scope and terms of Extra-statutory Concession A19 (ESC A19) as originally proposed in their recent consultation document. This is very welcome news as not only we, but many other bodies too, confirmed that the proposed changes were premature and far too weighted in HMRC’s favour. 12 April 2013
- LITRG Chairman calls for rule of law in tax and equal treatment of all taxpayers On Thursday 21 March, LITRG Chairman Anthony Thomas spoke at a seminar in London on the subject of the rule of law in tax. The seminar was hosted by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, an organisation inspired by the late Lord Bingham, who is described on the Centre’s website as “the pre-eminent judge of his generation and a passionate advocate of the rule of law”. 28 March 2013
- Abusive PAYE schemes - low income workers must be protected - LITRG Press Release The LITRG has welcomed the Government’s commitment – announced today – to consult on how best to ensure that offshore employment intermediaries pay the right amount of tax and NIC on the pay of the employees on their books. Draft legislation is expected in the 2014 Finance Bill. 20 March 2013
- Budget 2013 – impacts for those on low incomes LITRG reviews today’s Budget for points affecting low-income households, including interactions between income tax, tax credits and other state benefits. 20 March 2013
- NIC cut offers welcome relief for employers - LITRG Press Release The LITRG has welcomed the Chancellor’s announcement of a £2,000 cut in employers’ national insurance contributions for all businesses and charities from April 2014. This should make it easier and less expensive for new and growing businesses to take on new staff. 20 March 2013
- Childcare initiatives must work in tandem - LITRG Press Release Two new initiatives in the Budget to help with childcare costs could reduce complexity for parents and their employers, but only if they are developed together, say the LITRG. 20 March 2013
- Personal allowance commitment welcomed by tax campaigners - LITRG Press Release The LITRG has welcomed the confirmation in the Budget that the personal income tax allowance will rise to £10,000 for 2014/15. 20 March 2013
- Help on small loans from employers a good move say tax campaigners - LITRG Press Release The Chancellor has announced an increase in an existing tax break which will be welcomed particularly by low-paid workers who receive short-term loans from their employers to tide them over, says the LITRG. 20 March 2013
- New childcare schemes must be developed in tandem We broadly welcome yesterday’s announcement of two new Government initiatives for helping working parents with the cost of childcare – one via a state subsidy of up to 20% of eligible childcare costs, the other through universal credit. We regard it as essential that the two new schemes are developed in tandem to ensure easy interactions between the two, and to keep complexity to a minimum. 20 March 2013
- Tax advisers welcome HMRC's relaxation of RTI reporting by small employers - Press Release The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) and LITRG welcome the announcement today by HMRC, that it is making a significant relaxation to the Real Time Information (RTI) PAYE reporting requirement for small employers for a limited period. 19 March 2013
- Campaigners welcome HMRC promise of face-to-face visits for taxpayers who need help - LITRG press release The LITRG has given a cautious welcome to today’s announcement by HMRC that a ‘new, flexible support service’ will be introduced for those who need it, based around a more specialised phone service and mobile face-to-face visits. 14 March 2013
- Budget 2013 - what can we expect? The Chancellor will deliver this year’s Budget speech on 20 March. Many changes are now announced and consulted on in advance, so fewer rabbits are pulled from hats on the day! But one or two surprises might come from HM Treasury’s recent (and last-minute) call for Budget ‘representations’, to which LITRG submitted a longstanding recommendation – an increase to the rent-a-room relief limit. 7 March 2013
- Don’t get caught in the phishing net... If you receive an email promising you a tax refund in exchange for your personal, credit or banking details, on no account should you respond. Instead, contact HMRC immediately to report the matter. 26 February 2013
