CIPP welcomes Conservative proposal on Office for Tax Simplification

The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) is today welcoming the proposal by the Conservative party, to expand the role and capacity for the Office for Tax Simplification, as part of its election manifesto.

The Prime Minister, David Cameron, unveiled the Tory manifesto ahead of the upcoming general election on 7 May 2015, as the political parties enter the final weeks of campaigning.

Associate Director of Policy, Research, and Strategic Visibility, Karen Thomson, said: “The CIPP is very pleased to see that cutting red tape for businesses remains a priority. The CIPP warmly welcomes the proposal to not only make the Office for Tax Simplification permanent, but to also expand its role and capacity. This is welcome news because, as we have seen with its review of employee benefits and expenses, the OTS works hard to understand the real administrative burdens affecting businesses and offers the government sound advice on how complex processes can be simplified.”

In addition, the CIPP is also pleased to see that superfast broadband continues to be high on the political agenda, not least because many CIPP members rely on this for submitting real time information whilst working remotely.

Karen added: “It’s good to see that the commitment to providing secure delivery of superfast broadband in urban and rural areas providing coverage to 95% of the UK by the end of 2017 remains a real priority. Many payroll professionals rely on this as a lifeline and this is a major boost to those working remotely, should a Tory government win an outright majority.”

However, the CIPP urged caution in relation to public spending cuts, and called on all political parties to ensure that HMRC is protected due to the vital role it plays within the payroll and pensions sector.

“Whilst acknowledging the proposal to lower public spending through a reduction in wasteful spending, the CIPP hopes that HMRC will be given the resources that they need to effectively support payroll practitioners,” added Karen. “This in is addition to cracking down on tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance as outlined in this manifesto.”