UK MPs Fail Self-Assessment Test

by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London

31 August 2001

According to a recent survey conducted by the Chartered Institute Of Taxation, 82% of the United Kingdom's members of parliament found it difficult or impossible to complete an Inland Revenue self-assessment form without professional help.

The CIOT recently challenged all 658 MPs to dispense with the services of their accountants and participate in the experiment in order to draw attention to the complexity of the self-assessment process. Although not all picked up the gauntlet, those who did were dismayed and surprised by the results, and are set to push for change. 'We picked the MPs for obvious reasons,' explained CIOT President John Whiting. 'They are the guardians of the system and we are trying to bring home the problems to them.'

This new research will add force to the Institute's campaign for the simplification of the self-assessment process, which it has been condemning as too complex since its introduction in 1996. The CIOT believes that the situation is worsening as the years go on, and recently pointed out that the Finance Act 2000 added almost 600 pages of complex new legislation to the several thousand already in existence.

The Inland Revenue seems to be (slowly) waking up to the need for change, as it revealed recently that over 10% of the 8.5 million people in the UK covered by self-assessment failed to file by the January 31st deadline. IR chief, Nick Montagu is set to appear before the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee in October to answer questions on the topic.

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