MTD to be extended

Making Tax Digital programme to be extendedHMRC has announced that the Making Tax Digital programme will be extended to firms with turnover below the VAT threshold of £85,000 from April 2022. Taxpayers who file self-assessment returns for business or property income of more than £10,000 a year will be brought into the programme the following year. The move has been criticised by Mike Cherry, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, who remarked: “The last thing we need is wholesale expansion of Making Tax Digital without the right support in place. Government should be backing small businesses and the self-employed to drive recovery from a severe recession,” noting that the proposed changes would “mean more costs and paperwork for small firms at a critical time.” Jesse Norman, financial secretary to the treasury, said the reforms were designed to bring the tax system into the 21st century. "Making Tax Digital will make it easier for businesses to keep on top of their tax affairs. But it also has huge potential to improve the productivity of our economy, and its resilience in times of crisis," he said.