A new Charter setting out what individuals, businesses and other groups dealing with HM Revenue and Customs, the UK tax authority, can expect from the department, as well as what it expects from them, was launched on November 12.
According to HMRC, under the Charter, the tax department gives a commitment to taxpayers that it will: "respect you; help and support you to get things right; treat you as honest; treat you even-handedly; be professional and act with integrity; tackle people who deliberately break the rules and challenge those who bend the rules; protect your information and respect your privacy; accept that someone else can represent you; and do all it can to keep the cost of dealing with HMRC as low as possible."
In return, HMRC expects taxpayers to be "honest, respect its staff, and take care to get things right."
The Charter also provides information on taxpayer rights.
In a podcast launched to help publicize the Charter, HMRC Permanent Secretary for Tax Dave Hartnett said: “The Charter’s key aim is to improve the relationship between HMRC and our customers, and we obviously have a crucial role in making that possible. But we can’t do it all on our own. Both parties have a part to play, and that’s why the Charter sets out people’s rights and their responsibilities.”
The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) welcomed the launch of the Charter. Speaking alongside Financial Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Timms at the launch of the Charter, John Whiting, CIOT Tax Policy Director, said: “The Charter is an important step forward in relations between taxpayers and the taxman and will help people in their dealings with HMRC. It is a key signpost and safeguard for taxpayers, particularly for those who do not have an adviser."
Legislated for in the 2009 Finance Act, the Charter had to be revised from its original draft after it was criticized for being too orientated towards HMRC rather than towards taxpayers. However, Whiting is of the view that the final version of the Charter is much improved.
"The first draft of the Charter was deeply disappointing and wholly inadequate but HMRC deserve credit for listening to representations from ourselves and other tax professionals and producing a much improved final text," he noted.
The Charter was also praised by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), which said that the document should ensure that people are treated with fairness in their future dealings with the department.
“We hope that this document can provide the basis for more clarity to be provided by HMRC with respect to the tax laws, allowing people to plan their affairs with greater confidence," commented Chief Executive of STEP Worldwide, David Harvey. "In this respect HMRC’s Charter commitment to give accurate and consistent advice to taxpayers is particularly welcome.”
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