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Largest Finance Bill in History Hopefully the Last Hurrah for Tax Policy Proliferation

By rotide
Created 21/03/2017 - 16:59
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The Finance Bill published this week is the longest ever, at a mammoth 762 pages, say the Chartered Institute of Taxation. It beats the previous record holder, 2012's 686 page Finance Bill by a significant margin.

John Cullinane CIOT Tax Policy Director commented

"Today's Finance Bill is the longest on record, beating the next longest by a country mile. This rate of change and quantity of additional legislation will make life more complex for taxpayers and tax advisers alike."In defence of the current Chancellor, most of the measures in this Budget originated before his time at the Treasury, in particular they result from the Budget a year ago, which contained 50 new tax measures. By contrast the Budget two weeks ago was the slimmest in a long time, with just 14 new tax measures. We hope that that will set the pattern going forward and this Bill will be remembered as the last hurrah of the days when Finance Bills weighed in at heavier than a family-sized

turkey."

The lengthiest elements of today's Finance Bill are:

  · Corporate interest restriction - 156 pages

  · Relief for carried-forward losses for corporates - 116 pages

  · Trading and property businesses income and two new related allowances - 53 pages

  · Soft drinks industry levy - 35 pages

The need to 'do less and do it better' in tax policy was central to the'Better Budgets' report published in January by the CIOT, the Institute for Government and the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

The CIOT is the leading professional body in the United Kingdom concerned solely with taxation. Their work covers all aspects of taxation, including direct and indirect taxes and duties.

 

 

 


Source URL:
https://www.newbusiness.co.uk/articles/legal-advice/largest-finance-bill-history-hopefully-last-hurrah-tax-policy-proliferation