Government publishes range of consultations to help modernise UK tax system

24 Mar 2021

The government has published a range of tax documents and consultations designed to help modernise the UK tax system.

More than 30 policy updates, consultations and documents have been published in an effort to give tax professionals more time to scrutinise them. These documents, which would traditionally have been published at the Budget, include a business rates review interim report and a call for evidence on the tax administration framework.

A consultation on the potential changes to Air Passenger Duty (APD) has been published, seeking views on supporting the UK's commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050 by increasing the number of international distance bands.

Additionally, documents on cutting inheritance tax (IHT) red tape for more than 200,000 estates have also been published.

Many of the announcements form a key part of the government's wider ten-year plan to build a trusted, modern tax system.

'These measures will help us to upgrade and digitise the UK tax system, tackle tax avoidance and fraud, among other things,' said Jesse Norman, Financial Secretary to the Treasury.

'By grouping them together, we want to give Members of Parliament, tax professionals and other stakeholders a better opportunity to scrutinise them.'

The tax documents can be found here.