Call for Revenue rethink on self-assessment
The Inland Revenue was this week told it should toughen its stance in a bid to persuade taxpayers to return their self-assessment forms on time.
According to the latest figures more than three million returns are not yet filed.
With just a week until the 31 January deadline, the latest Revenue figures show 3,044,000 returns have not yet been returned.
ACCA’s head of tax, Chas Roy-Chowdury, said it was time for a rethink by the government agency. He said: ‘We are always looking to improve the system, which obviously needs looking at.
At the moment it is confrontational but maybe the Revenue should even physically call non-filers to chase their return.’
Meanwhile, the Revenue denied a software problem was the root cause of errors emerging in many of the codes for the soon to be launched company car tax, which will affect up to two million drivers.
From the beginning of the new tax year, company car tax will be based on the levels of CO2 emissions a car produces, but due to an error, many cars have been placed in the wrong category.
John Whiting, PwC tax partner, said: ‘We hope there is no danger of drivers paying the wrong amount of tax, but that is looking a possibility.’
However a Revenue spokeswoman, added: ‘We are aware of people who have been given the wrong information but remain confident everyone will have the right code by the end of the month.’