Taxation - Support grows for SA lenience

Two more professional bodies have added their voice to the clamour for leniency from the Inland Revenue over self-assessment.

John Andrews, president of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, and Frank Collingwood, president of the Association of Taxation Technicians, made their plea at a meeting of business leaders in Cardiff last week.

They asked the Revenue to be lenient to offenders in the untried system, and suggested a number of improvements to be introduced before the next self-assessment deadlines.

Their ‘wish list’, prepared by members of the two bodies, appeals to the Revenue to reduce ambiguity in the self-assessment forms, and improve the clarity of Revenue communications.

The Revenue is urged to avoid ‘threats and frightening tactics’ and to be sympathetic to tax payers and tax agents who were ‘struggling with one of the most complex tax systems on earth.’

Members of the English ICA have complained their relationship with local Revenue officers has been ruined by the introduction of self-assessment, and the CIOT warned there should be better co-ordination between tax inspectors and collectors to avoid unreasonable pressure on the taxpayers and the consequent alienation of tax agents.