Accountancy and Taxation: Professional Organisations

(asked on 27th April 2021) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation made by the Association of Accounting Technicians in its response, published on 6 August 2020, to the HM Revenue and Customs call for evidence on raising standards in the tax advice market, that anyone offering paid-for tax and accountancy services should be required by law to be a member of a relevant professional body.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Agnew of Oulton
This question was answered on 29th April 2021

The Government published a call for evidence on raising standards in the tax advice market in March 2020. This explored a range of options to raise standards, including requiring all tax advisers to belong to a professional body. Responses to the call for evidence, including the response from the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), were carefully considered. A summary of responses and the Government’s proposed next steps were published in November 2020.

Many respondents to the call for evidence suggested requiring tax advisers to hold professional indemnity insurance (PII) could provide a baseline level of taxpayer protection. The Government is now consulting on the merits of requiring tax advisers to hold PII, including assessing the impacts of this requirement. The consultation closes on 15 June 2021.

Any decisions resulting from the consultation will be announced at a future fiscal event.

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