ABAB disappointed at HMRC’s mandatory approach to digital for small businesses

The Administrative Burdens Advisory Board (ABAB) has revealed it was ‘surprised and disappointed’ by the chancellor’s announcement that digital record-keeping and quarterly online reporting would be mandatory for ‘even the smallest businesses’.

In its annual report for 2016 ABAB said it recognised and supported the move to digital but it had ‘reservations as to whether this will meet the needs for all small businesses together with the level of support that will be available and the pace of change’.

As a result it could not endorse compulsory digital record-keeping and quarterly online updates outlined in George Osborne’s autumn statement. It was concerned the proposals would ‘be more burdensome than they currently are with increased record-keeping and compliance costs’.

The report went on: ‘The requirement that as part of the reforms all businesses will have to keep records digitally is a significant concern given the timescales to...