Agent self-serve 'needs major safeguards'

Significant safeguards need to be put into place before a system of enrolment is instigated for tax agents by the Revenue.

That is the message from the UK tax profession’s two leading organisations, the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) and the Association of Tax Technicians (ATT). They have submitted an official joint response to the consultation document Establishing the Future Relationship between the Tax Agent Community and HMRC.

The bodies have given qualified support to the plans by the taxman to register professional tax advisers on a database to ‘provide additional security against fraud’ and to give them ‘self-serve’ rights via access to HMRC’s online admin systems.

The CIOT and ATT have, however, pointed to a large number of ‘fundamental issues’ that must first be addressed, including the need for independent oversight of the process of suspension and disenrollment of agents whose performance is judged to below an acceptable standard.

‘Our members have indicated to us that they are generally happy with the direction of travel of this consultation, but have serious and real concerns about the mode of transport,’ said Anthony Thomas, president of the CIOT.

Concerns have been expressed about the asymmetry of views on what represents an acceptable or unacceptable risk: what is considered by the Revenue to be collateral damage could mean insolvency for agent, the pro bodies warned.

They added, ‘It is important that HMRC agree to discuss appropriate safeguards in areas such as monitoring before further progress can be made.’

‘Tax advisers have indicated that they are not interested in the sweetener of self-serve if it is part and parcel of an unpalatable package which will only manifest itself at a later stage,’ said Anthony Thomas.

His counterpart at the ATT, Andrew Meeson, remarked, ‘It is important that some key issues are agreed at the outset. There needs to be an independent board to police agent disenrollment and suspension.

‘It needs to be clear who will have access to self-serve; many feel strongly that the unrepresented need some access. And we need reassurance over security of data within HMRC systems if these are opened up to all agents. Until these issues are resolved, no professional agent will want to be a part of the system.’

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