Former BBC newsreader Moira Stuart will next week address television audiences as the fresh new face of HM Revenue and Customs, as part of its self-assessment advertising campaign.

Stuart takes over from BBC presenter Adam Hart-Davis, who admitted earlier this year that he expected to be replaced by a 'new and more beautiful face'.

Stuart will be encouraging taxpayers to file their returns online and on time.

HMRC head of marketing Simon Vessey said it was great news that Stuart would front the campaign.

'She's a household name that people naturally tune in to and trust,' said HMRC head of marketing Simon Vessey.

Hart-Davis' line during his stint was that 'tax doesn't have to be taxing' but he told Radio Five Live in an interview earlier this year that he believed the system was too complex, especially for the self-employed, BBC.com reported.

He further described VAT as 'absurdly complicated' but said he was supportive of the tax system and considered fronting the campaign 'huge fun'.

The new campaign will include billboards, posters, in the press and adverts online focusing on the new deadlines of 31 October for paper tax returns and 31 January for online tax returns.

Further reading:

Taxman embarks on ad blitz