Political update: April 2026

It has been a busy time for CIOT and ATT on the political front. In addition to engagement on the Finance and National Insurance bills reported on elsewhere in this section, there has been activity in Scotland, Wales and at Westminster.

In February, CIOT Technical Officer Lindsay Scott gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Public Administration Committee, which is preparing a legacy report ahead of May’s elections. She told the committee that the Scottish tax system has become more complicated as a result of devolution and that better awareness of the Scottish Parliament’s powers over tax policy is needed.

Also north of the border, CIOT joined with ACCA in March to host a roundtable of politicians and senior professionals in tax and accountancy on issues related to devolved taxation. MSPs Michelle Thomson (SNP), Liz Smith (Conservative), Michael Marra (Labour) and Patrick Harvie (Green) discussed their parties’ proposals for tax and the economy ahead of the May election. The Lib Dems and Reform were also invited.

In Wales, CIOT attended a series of roundtable events organised by the Enterprise Forum during early 2026 to hear party representatives, including the Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar and Labour’s Economy Secretary Rebecca Evans, set out their economic and business plans ahead of the Senedd election. At separate events, CIOT engaged with Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice and Lib Dem Trade and Investment spokesperson Joshua Reynolds about their parties’ tax plans.

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee’s February report on Small Business Strategy draws on evidence from CIOT witness Alison Kerrey about how damaging inconsistency and uncertainty can be for small firms.

MPs concluded that future policy changes must model how small businesses will be affected by tax changes and seek feedback from smaller firms about potential impacts.