.png)
.png)
Taxation publisher launches charity drive
Education will be the focus of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) in the coming 12 months, the professional body’s new president has announced.
Chris Jones used his inaugural speech to CIOT members this week to unveil his plan to bring greater understanding of tax matters to the public, advisers and HMRC alike during his year in office.
He called for “education of the public as to their obligations to the tax system by providing greater clarity and transparency on how a citizen’s biggest expense in life is computed… [and] education of tax agents as to the scale and nature of the changes we face in this new digital age”.
Jones, who succeeded Anne Fairpo as the CIOT’s figurehead, added, “There will definitely be a need to modernise and demonstrate how we add value to our clients.
“The emphasis will certainly shift from processing data from one system into another, to providing proactive advice on an ongoing basis.”
He went on to insist that Revenue officials “need an honest friend to help them… More importantly, they need the trust of taxpayers in order to drive the digital agenda, and that can only happen where service is put first in the list of priorities.
“We are here to help; we want to make it work, just like they do. So, let’s work together, listen and learn from each other.”
Also this week, Jones launched Bridge the Gap, an initiative backed by professional bodies and aimed at raising £250,000 a year for TaxAid and Tax Help for Older People, charities that provide free advice for vulnerable and low-income individuals.
“I’ve seen the work they do. It is remarkable: they really do change peoples’ lives. In effect, they provide the profession’s safety net,” said Jones, who is the publisher of Taxation and other titles owned by LexisNexis, a backer of the campaign.
Other major supporters include the CIOT, the Association of Tax Technicians, the ICAEW Tax Faculty and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
