Government urged to overhaul tax credits
A group of tax and welfare bodies, including the ICAEW, have called for the government to make changes to the tax credits system, which they claim is currently causing trouble for claimants.
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The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group has pulled together several bodies, including the ICAEW and the Chartered Institute of Taxation, to promote a series of suggested changes to the tax credits system. They claim the changes are the minimum needed to eradicate common difficulties which they encounter daily that cause hardship, distress and anxiety to claimants.
‘It is disappointing that 18 months after the implementation of the tax credits system we are still discussing fundamental deficiencies which we, and other bodies, identified as needing modification right at the start,’ said John Andrews, chairman of LITRG.
The changes suggested include making award notices more intelligible, better training for call centre staff, a greater willingness to remit overpayments and better practical guidance to all claimants.