CEO's welcome: The spirit of Summer

Our technical teams have been busy following Tax Update 2026 Day on 23 June, when the government published a raft of measures for comment aimed at ‘simplifying and modernising’ the tax system, alongside proposals to ‘strengthen compliance’. These included consultation documents, draft legislation and calls for evidence. Our technical teams have been reviewing and digesting the proposals in advance of making our submissions.

As our technical teams write the responses, they are always keen to hear members’ thoughts, views and concerns about the measures announced. Please do share your experiences with us, as your feedback helps to shape both the tone and content of the technical teams’ responses.

The ATT and CIOT have also been working closely to support and guide the rollout of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to agent accounts. MFA is a vital security measure, as HMRC’s online services for agents are often a target for fraudulent activity. Our work has ranged from challenging HMRC’s initial proposals to supporting members with practical guidance and articles. We hope that all agents are making good progress with implementation and taking advantage of the phased approach to test their plans before MFA becomes mandatory between 28 September and 15 October.

While there has been plenty of work to do, we still have time for celebration. The ATT welcomed new members, prize winners and their guests to their latest admissions ceremony held at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall on 26 June. This is always one of the highlights of the ATT calendar, and it is wonderful to see new members celebrating with families and friends. CIOT President Paul Aplin hosted a Parliamentary Reception on 6 July with speeches from Dan Tomlinson, Lord Craig Mackinlay CTA and James Wild. You can read more about the evening on page XX.

Continual professional development remains central to maintaining the high standards expected of our members. We would like to highlight two events taking place this autumn.

The first is the CIOT’s popular annual Autumn Residential Conference 2026, running from Friday 18 until Sunday 20 September. Set in the beautiful and historic Queens’ College, Cambridge, this offers an engaging weekend of learning, insightful discussions, practical application and valuable networking. You can register at: www.tax.org.uk/arc2026.

The second date is for ATT Fellow members. On Thursday 8 October, the ATT will hold its Fellows’ Webinar from 1pm until 2.30pm. Free to ATT Fellows, these sessions provide a unique opportunity to enjoy the company of fellow members and take part in discussions led by our Technical Officers. Discussion topics are yet to be announced, so do bookmark the Fellows’ Webinar registration page for further details at: tinyurl.com/23744svu. You can find out more about applying for Fellowship at: www.att.org.uk/fellowship.

Finally, although we are only two‑thirds of the way through the year, the ATT’s Director of Public Policy, Emma Rawson, has already received two incredible accolades. In May, she won the Outstanding Contribution to Taxation by an Individual at the 2026 Taxation Awards, followed in June by the award of an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the King’s Birthday Honours List. Both awards recognised Emma’s ‘service and vision’ in supporting HMRC, tax agents and taxpayers during the introduction of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. We are immensely proud of Emma and delighted that she has received this well-deserved recognition.

Enjoy your summer, especially if you are taking a well-earned holiday, and we look forward to seeing you all soon!