Jon Thompson, HMRC chief executive, has told MPs that Concentrix failed to supply enough people to manage the outsourcing contract for checking tax credit renewals for fraud and error, resulting in what he termed ‘appalling’ customer service, with the work being brought back in house and potentially terminating early 

The government has issued draft legislation setting out the rules for the Lifetime ISA tax-free savings scheme, including details on their use for first-time property purchases at exchange of contract, annual bonuses and eligibility for married couples

HMRC’s claims the move to gather data on interest payments directly from banks and adjust PAYE codes is ‘unproblematic’ although some taxpayers are concerned about privacy, data security and confusing communications from the taxman

An overhaul of the road tax system from April 2017 will mean that purchasers of new cars valued over £40,000 will face a five-year charge in addition to the annual road tax rate, which is set on a sliding scale

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said the move had prompted over 100,000 taxpayers to come forward, and credited the introduction of automatic third-party account reporting with accelerating the process.

Wales could lose ‘hundreds of millions’ a year in tax revenues if a deal to devolve tax powers to Cardiff does not take into account lower incomes and slower population growth in the country, a report suggests

The controversial tax credit contract outsourced to Concentrix, which has been slated by MPs for serious customer service failures, is being brought back in-house with immediate effect, with existing private sector staff transferring to work at HMRC in Belfast

HMRC should prioritise reducing error and instances of failure to take reasonable care in order to make greater inroads into the tax gap, according to law firm Pinsent Masons

The UK tax gap fell to 6.5% representing £36bn of lost tax in 2014-2015, heralded by HMRC as its lowest-ever level, below the newly revised figure for the previous year which is now put at £37bn

After accusations the Chancellor is too like an accountant in his attitude to Brexit, and the prime minister, Theresa May’s criticism of the accounting profession at the Conservative party conference, ACCA policy manager Anthony Walters calls for government support

A man who was unaware he was entitled to make voluntary National Insurance contributions (NICs) while living and working abroad has lost an appeal at a First Tier Tribunal (FTT) over HMRC’s refusal to allow him to make additional payments over an extended period, because the mistake was down to his failure to exercise due care and diligence

As part of Making Tax Digital, HMRC has set out the priorities for its plans to make near real time adjustments to taxpayers’ tax codes so they pay the right amount of tax within the current tax year