In the news: August 2026

‘These proposals are a significant widening of the regime, reaching beyond large businesses into individuals, trusts and additional taxes, and potentially introducing a new, much broader trigger for notification. The key test will be whether that expansion can be delivered in a way that remains clear, proportionate and workable.’

CIOT’s Ellen Milner in the Telegraph on extension of the uncertain tax treatment regime, 12 May

‘The tax system should be simple and suitable for 21st century taxpayers…  but some of these thresholds haven’t moved since the 1970s and 1980s. A proper commitment to reviewing and uprating these allowances regularly would go a long way towards making tax simpler, fairer and fit for today’s economic landscape.’

ATT’s Emma Rawson in the Financial Times on tax reliefs, 4 June

‘We have long been concerned that the calculation of the annual taxable state pension figure is difficult to understand and places far too much reliance on taxpayers performing their own calculations to arrive at the necessary figure, or to verify the amount pre‑populated by HMRC.’

LITRG’s Antonia Stokes in The Times on pensioners being overcharged income tax, 13 June

‘It is important to take professional tax advice early in the sale process to reduce the risk of disputes.’

CIOT’s Matthew Brown in the Financial Times on HMRC investigations into company sales, 18 June

‘Small businesses account for the largest share of the tax gap, but many business owners are trying to comply with an increasingly complex tax system while managing the day-to-day demands of running a business.’

ATT’s Emma Rawson in the Financial Times on the tax gap, 24 June

‘An analysis of HMRC figures by the LITRG suggests that just more than half of the 216,000 unrepresented taxpayers who have to take part in MTD from April 2026 have still not registered.’

Daily Mirror on MTD, 26 June