A quarter of tax appeals are now being made online according to figures from HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), which says its newly introduced service offers a quicker, more streamlined system as part of its planned £1bn investment in digitisation
Over 2,000 taxpayers have used the initiative, which means people no longer have to print out, manually fill in and post their forms. HMCTS says it is drastically cutting the number of applications being returned, as incomplete or inaccurate forms can be amended over the phone with the help of HMCTS staff.
Lucy Frazer Justice Minister said: ‘Allowing people to submit their tax appeals online is just one example of how we are making the system quicker, smarter, and much more user-friendly.
‘Online appeals are submitted to the tax tribunal service so that the case can be considered by a judge and, if necessary, proceed to a hearing.
‘The simplified forms spell out exactly what steps applicants must have already taken, preventing people from wasting time submitting applications which are then returned.’
HMCTS says the online tax system continues to develop and in the early stages of 2018 will be extended to cater for an increased range of business.
Report by Pat Sweet
