Revenue abandons Glasgow
The Inland Revenue has been accused of failing Scottish industry and damaging tax inspector relationships by moving its Glasgow large business office (LBO) south of the border.
Just a week before the 17 March Budget, the regulator has announced it will phase out its Glasgow office, which handles the corporation tax affairs of several UK large businesses, and transfer a large proportion of the work to Newcastle. The closure is slated for 18 to 24 months’ time.
The Revenue still has one operational Scottish office in Edinburgh dealing mainly with financial services and not industrial customers.
Many large Scottish-based businesses are disappointed that the Revenue is transferring operations. One well-known Scottish plc told Accountancy Age that relationships with various members of its tax department would be damaged as a result.
A spokesman said: ‘The Glasgow office has built up a good relationship and a degree of expertise, which it will be sad to lose, particularly when going through a period of change with new legislation and the next Budget.’
A Revenue spokesman said the move was part of ‘a programme of change and improvement’ to enhance its work, and said that its staff ‘move frequently’ between regional offices.
‘The closure is part of our operational picture and shape for the next few years,’ he said.