Small business campaigners are calling for independent monitoring of HM Revenue & Customs online operations, as they are opposed to their mandatory online filing.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) have asked the Governments' public services productivity panel to set up an impartial watchdog to monitor developments and report on progress. They believe that although they support the governments' stated aim to encourage use of online services, HM Revenue & Customs has not dealt with the problems.
Not all businesses have access to IT services, and while it can reduce costs, inefficient services cause additional burdens.
The new body that the ICAEW want to set up would track the Revenue's progress against its online strategy and encourage realistic timetables.
Our view
We beleive that people should wake up. Online servicing is here to stay, and we for one support online submissions. Tax returns in 12 minutes, VAT returns in seconds - what more can you ask for?