HMRC’s plans for digitisation and communication

KEY POINTS

• HMRC is committed to Making Tax Digital.
• The number of people who are digitally excluded may be not be as high as some believe.
• The role of professionals in discussions on tax.

For the past few years HMRC has held a stakeholder event linked with the publication of its annual report. In broad terms it is the department’s equivalent to a company’s annual general meeting in which it reports back to its shareholders. HMRC does not have shareholders but the guests were the nearest equivalent – representatives – or stakeholders – from industry and the major firms professional bodies charities and journalists.

As usual the format was a mixture of presentations by a minister and senior HMRC staff a breakout session and question and answer sessions. This year for the first time...