Author: Mike
Posted: 20 July 2010, 13:04:29

A press release from The Law Society arrived at Taxation Tower today, hot on the heels of the Office of Tax Simplification ('OTS') announcement.

'The Law Society's call for a simpler tax law system has been heeded with the announcement today that a new Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) will be created', it proudly announced.

And when did this now-answered clarion call go out?

Four months ago, in March, apparently, in a document called Tax: Good governance and better law making.

So that would be some 20 months after the then Conservative opposition announced that it was going to create an Office of Tax Simplification, at a press conference in July 2008 at the ICAEW's HQ, Chartered Accountants Hall?

And eighteen months after the CIOT made a similar written proposal for the very similar Tax Law Commission, which was itself based on comments they had made over the previous two years?

That's the same CIOT whose Tax Policy Director, John Whiting, is to be the OTS's Tax Director, on a one day a week secondment.

Methinks the boys at Chancery Lane are exaggerating their contribution just a little bit...

Taxation Team blog

• Email this page
• Printer-friendly version