Following IT problems with the self assessment pre population service, HMRC has now confirmed that the system is up and running, so taxpayers can see pre-poluated data when they log into accounts but there are still problems with setting up a direct debit

The Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) is warning that delays in releasing specifications for the software needed to file VAT returns digitally under HMRC’s Making Tax Digital initiative risk leaving some business facing a troublesome mid-accounting period change

If the threat of robots taking people’s jobs in the future proves true then corporation tax must increase to offset the impact of reduced tax revenues from income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs), explains George Bull, tax partner at RSM

HMRC is promoting a new app, with a quick guide for taxpayers on how to use the app to find information about their tax, national insurance, tax credits and benefits on the move, but has no plans to offer a free app for Making Tax Digital 

HMRC has delayed the rollout of pre-population APIs (application programming interfaces) which allow agents using tax software products to access client data while completing self assessment (SA) returns

Over a million homes and offices still cannot get a decent broadband connection according to the latest analysis from industry regulator Ofcom, creating issues for HMRC’s plans for all businesses to move to quarterly online tax updates via its flagship Making Tax Digital initiative

HMRC is advising agents and accountants to update old Windows operating systems such as Windows 7 to ensure that client data is protected and cannot be breached by hackers, stressing that under HMRC Agent Standards advisers are responsible for protecting clients' data and confidentiality

As the government seeks to curb online VAT fraud after additional measures were announced in the Budget, Nicholas Hallam considers what impact the policy might have

The European Commission has formally adopted VAT e-commerce rules which extend the existing ‘one stop shop’ for distance sales and reduce the cost for online businesses of complying with VAT obligations, with the aim of tackling the €5bn (£4.4bn) lost to fraud each year

Italy has revealed plans to introduce a ‘web tax’, which is expected to bring in €114m annually via a 6% levy on digital sales made by technology companies to consumers based in the country

MHA MacIntyre Hudson tax director Nigel Morris provides a detailed round up of the tax changes for cars, vans, fuels and electric vehicles following the Budget, including for diesel cars and driverless technology 

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on how the EU can ensure that the digital economy is taxed in a fair and growth-friendly way, arguing that the current tax framework cannot capture activities which are increasingly based on intangible assets and data