Tax system is too complex, says exchequer secretary

Date: 16th November 2011

The UK's tax system is too complex and lacks transparency, it has been suggested.

Exchequer secretary David Gauke has outlined plans to make the UK's tax environment easier for taxpayers to navigate.

Announcing the launch of a new discussion paper, entitled Modernising the Administration of the Personal Tax System, Mr Gauke called on businesses and individuals to air their views on the system.

Participants are being asked to explain what they understand about their taxes, demonstrate how technology could be used to simplify the system and say where they face the most difficulty.

Mr Gauke commented: "We want to make tax more transparent and we want people to be more engaged with their own tax affairs.

"We plan to lift the lid on tax so that people understand how much they are paying, what their overall tax rate is, and what they should be paying, in the same way that the government has lifted the lid on what they are paying for."

Until significant improvements are made, taxpayers could be tempted to seek the assistance of a specialist accountancy service in order to ensure their bookkeeping is up to date.

Posted by Thomas Fletcher