Digital by default

On 15 February HMRC published a summary of the responses to its March 2023 consultation Simplifying and modernising HMRC’s income tax services through the tax administration framework review (tinyurl.com/HMRCresponse15feb). The consultation covered three main areas: improving PAYE processes moving to digital registration for income tax self assessment and implementing a digital by default approach for service delivery.

Go/no go

I didn’t read the document the day it was published as I was at Bristol airport and somewhat pre-occupied (bear with me there is a point to this).

Just as we had arrived at the airport the car’s power steering froze. I called the breakdown service which uses an automated call handling process. Terminating the phone call after a couple of automated questions it sent me a text (to which I could not reply) and a link to an...