Boost trust between HMRC and self-employed, urges IPSE

The next government should take more responsibility for HMRC’s actions to boost trust with the self-employed says the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE).

In its manifesto for the self-employed the freelancer trade body proposes that a cabinet minister would be charged with directly overseeing the tax office. Taxpayers would also be offered more recourse when the department has acted carelessly or unfairly.

The manifesto calls for the government to scrap the off-payroll working rules and work with industry to find a way to tax work fairly. It also proposes for an increase in the trading allowance to £5 000 to incentive casual freelancers to increase their incomes.

Derek Cribb IPSE’s CEO said: ‘The [self-employed] sector is bursting with potential to get more people working plug skills gaps and grow the economy. But this potential is being squandered by the devastating...