‘Tell the Chancellor’ forum gives business leaders chance to boost UK competitiveness

South West businesses have an opportunity to tell the Treasury how it could simplify the tax system to help the UK to be more competitive.

Andy Richens, Technical Tax Director at South West accountants Bishop Fleming, has been appointed as a fixed-term policy adviser for the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS), who are seeking ideas for an initial report on tax simplification to be presented ahead of the next Budget announcement.

Andy comments: “The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has been asked by the Chancellor to conduct a review of how the Government could improve the competitiveness of the UK tax system.”

Right now, the UK is ranked 10th overall for doing business by the World Bank, but is ranked 14th for taxation and 28th for starting a new business.

Andy comments further: “The Government wants to make the UK a better place for doing business, and wants recommendations on tax simplification.

“Those recommendations will focus on ways in which smaller businesses could benefit from changes to tax administration.”

Mr Richens is keen to hear suggestions from South West businesses.

“HMRC has already made a number of improvements, but business owners will know of more ways in which the burden of tax administration could be reduced.

“I want to hear those ideas and put them forward to the Chancellor,” he says.

Bishop Fleming has provided a forum on its website – “Tell the Chancellor” – which enables businesses to post suggestions for tax improvements that Andy Richens can put forward: www.bishopfleming.co.uk/tellthechancellor