Whilst the main focus of the nation in terms of tax talk has all been about the General Election, some very interesting
figures have been published this month by HMRC.

Have you heard before of the phrase the ‘Tax Gap’? The stats in question surround this topic. According to the Chartered Institute of Taxation, the definition of this gap is “the
difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid.”

The new report assesses the tax gap in 2022-23. The…

Baroness Ros Altmann, a leading campaigner on pensions, has highlighted her fears after figures
showing that the number of pensioners liable for tax have doubled in the last 14 years.

The number has risen to over 9 million, compared to just 4.5million back in 2010.

She said the stats were ‘worrying’ and means millions more pensioners are being ‘dragged’ into the tax net.

Baroness Altmann, who served as Pensions Minister under David Cameron, said as the new State Pension climbs above 90% of the personal tax threshold,
more pensioners may be…

The saga over whether HMRC will axe its tax helpline continues to rumble on, with the latest
comments suggesting it may still close after all.

HMRC had to back down from a proposal that would see the Self-Assessment line closed from 8 April to 30 September, following widespread pressure and then
the intervention of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

In the latest twist though, Jim Harra, HMRC’s chief executive, has refused to rule out future helpline cuts. Speaking to
The Treasury
Select Committee in late April, he said the time-limited closure…

We‘ve seen plenty of speculation before the last two Budgets that Inheritance
Tax would see major reforms. Yet nothing materialised. And the latest figures released by the Treasury show perhaps why there might be
some reluctance to change the rules, with the amount of tax received hitting a record high.

The latest stats have shown that the Treasury looks set to collect £7.54bn in the 2023/24 tax year. That‘s higher than the previous record
of £7.1bn, which was recorded in the 2022/23 tax year.

The Treasury has brought in £6.8bn…

You‘ve probably digested the main news by now from the Spring Budget. Now comes the next
stage:the Spring Finance Bill. The bill was published on 14 March, ensuring that
the measures announced in the Budget take their next steps towards becoming reality.

Whenever a government announces new taxation in a Budget or Spring or Autumn Statement, these plans require statutory (or legislative) authority.
A number of tax changes will now be enshrined into law if the bill passes as expected.

Cuts to National Insurance contributions and the abolition of…