Ministers should delay MTD timetable

Has the general election and its result put into question the timetable for Making Tax Digital? Brian Palmer tax policy adviser at the Association of Accounting Technicians said: ‘HMRC has not been able to expand from its controlled-go-live testing as it had originally envisaged.’ It had been hoped that by now those on the pilot which started on 3 April should have been able to start filing updates for their first period of MTD accounting.

Mr Palmer is also concerned that the appointment of two new government ministers will lead to further delays while they familiarise themselves with their portfolios. He said: ‘The argument for a delay and subsequent gradual phasing-in of MTD becomes ever more persuasive.’

He added: ‘The new ministers should use the post-election period of uncertainty as an opportunity to phase in MTD over a three-year period starting in April 2019.’...