Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide additional specialised support to (1) contractors, and (2) self-employed taxpayers, who are facing large tax liabilities.

HMRC is working hard to help all taxpayers, including contractors and the self-employed, with large tax bills and temporary cash-flow issues, and to provide them with the support they need.

HMRC’s longstanding Time to Pay policy allows taxpayers in temporary financial difficulty to schedule their tax debts into affordable and sustainable instalment arrangements with no maximum repayment period. These arrangements are flexible and can be amended if circumstances change. Individuals with Self-Assessment debts under £30,000 can apply online for a Time to Pay arrangements of up to 12 months.

In addition, HMRC has a well-established Extra Support Service which is accessible to all taxpayers. Our customer service advisers have the skills to identify taxpayers who need extra help and to empathetically handle their queries and make reasonable adjustments.

Any taxpayer concerned about their ability to pay should contact HMRC to discuss the support available.