First flagged late last year with a sneak preview to tax advisers, HMRC has launched a tax resource pack including animated videos featuring bean-shaped characters and threats of ghosts and moonlighters, for teachers to help school students learn the facts about tax from finding out an NI number to making sure you are paying the right amount of tax when you do start a permanent job or work multiple jobs
Tax Facts is a comprehensive teachers’ pack, designed to provide an introduction to the tax system for 14–17 year olds studying citizenship, business enterprise, personal finance and other aspects of the curriculum that prepare them for life beyond school.
As well as detailed lesson plans and guidance, HMRC has produced four short, animated videos to inform students about some of the key tax issues they will face as they begin their working lives.
The videos are short and fun, with lots of facts and figures, giving students an easy introduction to the basics of tax. The main character is a bean-shaped animated character who pops around the screen delivering information – from what HMRC does, to the type of people who work for the taxman to the number of staff who work at HMRC, less than the capacity of Old Trafford FC if you wanted to know, but more than Stamford Bridge, so good for Chelsea and Man U supporters – the answer is more than 41,938 staff then but no more than 75,635.
The content will be reviewed and updated every six months, no doubt a necessity as the tax code changes so frequently.
The four videos present information in an informal, light-hearted way and complement material in the lesson plans. They are around four to six-minute in length, covering the following:
- About HMRC – a background to HMRC’s work and the basics of the tax system;
- Starting Your First Job – what to expect when you enter the world of work, such as tax deductions and National Insurance contributions;
- Working For Yourself – what to do if you’re planning to become self-employed; and
- The Hidden Economy – how people try to get out of paying their taxes and what HMRC is doing to tackle this, with warnings about cash in hand jobs, record-keeping, starting your own business.
The videos start out quite light-hearted but by Working for Yourself, the sketch is rather more serious - register, records, returns is the message - it is a bit carrot and stick in a way but does get the message across, that everyone should pay their tax. keep their records on taxes for six years, with warnings about cash-in-hand jobs, importance of self assessment completion deadlines, importance of registering with HMRC if self-employed and penalty system. By Hidden Economy, ghosts and moonlighters come to the fore.
Sue Walton, director of tax professionalism and assurance, HMRC said: ‘HMRC wants to help students understand how tax works, so that they know what to expect when they start earning. By explaining to them how tax is used and the link with vital public services, young people will learn to appreciate the importance of paying tax.’
Watch the HMRC Tax Facts videos on YouTube here
The videos were put together with support from charter advisory committee representatives of the ICAEW, CIOT and LITRG, policy experts, education experts, teachers and students.
Tax Facts has been accredited with the Personal Finance Education Group (PFEG) Quality Mark.