In a recent HM Treasury press release it has been confirmed that the government will publish a number of tax-related consultations and calls for evidence at the end of March. These consultations would usually be published on Budget day but instead will be published on 23 March. This will allow more time for these consultations to be examined.
None of the announcements will require legislation in the next Finance Bill or have an impact on the government’s finances. A number of these consultations relate to the government’s 10-year tax administration strategy, titled ‘Building a trusted, modern tax administration system’.
Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jesse Norman said:
‘We are making these announcements separately to the Budget, but still all on a single day, in order to give a range of important but less high profile measures greater visibility among Members of Parliament, tax professionals and other stakeholders, and greater scope for scrutiny by them.’
Announcements which have fiscal implications need to be captured in the OBR’s economic and fiscal outlook, and announcements of measures to be legislated in the Finance Bill, will be made on Budget day in the normal way.