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However, it has been warned that this must not adversely impact the service that it gives to the public.
Currently, HMRC’s 58,000 full-time equivalent employees are currently spread across 170 offices around the country, many of which are a legacy of the 1960s and 1970s, which range in size from around 6,000 people to fewer than ten.
HMRC will bring its employees together in 13 large, modern regional centres, equipped with the digital infrastructure and training facilities which it says are needed to build a more highly-skilled workforce to meet the challenges of bringing in more revenue from those evading tax and improving its customer service to the honest majority.
However, several tax bodies have urged caution.
and have said a planned restructuring of HMRC must not
Chris Jones, President of The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT), said: “Taxpayers and tax professionals alike will be anxious that a public body that is struggling to meet its public-facing service targets has announced that it is about to lose many staff and close its local offices. It is crucial that HMRC retains as many appropriately qualified and experienced staff as it can.
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“We simply cannot wait until ten years’ time to see whether the changes meet HMRC’s goal to transform its service to taxpayers – they must have an immediate effect that is felt by ordinary people."
Paul Hill, Chair of the Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) Technical Steering Group, said: “It is vital that any adverse impacts of the transition on HMRC’s customers and staff are minimised. If service standards suffer in the process, tax compliance could decrease significantly and that could erode or even wipe out the eventual savings which the restructuring is intended to deliver.
“HMRC is in an unenviable position. It has to cope with reduced resources, introduce fundamental changes in the way that we all deal with the department and consolidate its staff into 13 regional centres. None of that will be easy but we look forward to helping HMRC identify how to achieve and maintain a high quality service over the transitional period.
“It is essential that specific provisions are in place, such as ensuring that HMRC is able to stage face to face meetings with a taxpayer in a convenient location.”
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Susie Hughes © Shout99 2015
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