Blog
Research finds lack of knowledge, information and skills are key barriers to Making Tax Digital compliance
23 Jul

A report commissioned by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to find out why 16 per cent of businesses have failed to comply with Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT more than a year after the rules came into effect has been published.
The IPSO Mori research found that a “lack of knowledge, information and skills were frequent barriers to MTD compliance” but notes that “the vast majority of businesses involved in the research were keen to comply with MTD for VAT”.
Since April 2019, most businesses with a taxable turnover of £85,000 or more have been required to keep digital records and make quarterly submissions using HMRC compatible software.
The researchers conducted 44 telephone interviews with businesses that were not yet MTD-compliant to find out the reasons why have not complied and to find out how businesses in this position can be encouraged to become compliant.
They found that “overall businesses lacked a clear understanding of [the] purpose and rationale driving MTD for VAT and were unaware of any potential benefits to them or HMRC”.
The report goes on to recommend that “having a better understanding and awareness of the drive and reasons behind MTD for VAT has the potential to increase motivation amongst non-compliant businesses to sign up to and comply with MTD”.
The language used by HMRC around MTD for VAT also attracted criticism from the researchers, who said that the use of words like ‘might’ or ‘may’ “does not resonate with businesses”. Instead, they say “the use of language across all messages and communications needs to be more direct and definitive to avoid confusion and mitigate the risk of businesses not taking the messages seriously enough or ignoring the messages altogether.”
Archive
- Requests for exemption from publication of furlough claims must be submitted by Monday 25 January
- Only a few days are left to submit applications for the third SEISS grant
- What could Budget 2021 have in store?
- HM Revenue & Customs increases the threshold for Self-Assessment online payment plan service to £30,000
- Independent commission argues against annual wealth tax but advocates a one-off charge
- Could the Government be about to launch a new permanent state-backed small business loan scheme?
- HMRC issues new warning over lockdown fraudsters
- FSB proposes move to turn Covid emergency debt into shared ownership schemes
- VAT – Post-Brexit arrangements
- Insurance industry to pay out on COVID-19 business interruption claims
- Are you making full use of the Government’s COVID-19 financial support package?
- Government extends agricultural visa scheme to fill jobs left by EU workers
- Brexit: UK Trader Scheme to support movement of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland
- Coronavirus furlough and loan schemes further extended
- Brexit trade deal negotiations continue as businesses warned to prepare for a ‘no deal’ scenario
- VAT under the Northern Ireland Protocol
- Northern Ireland customs duty arrangements confirmed
- Government launches new export finance guarantee scheme
- How can your business prepare for customs and VAT after Brexit?
- UK launches points-based post-Brexit immigration system
- Business Secretary writes to professional services sector ahead of end of Brexit transition period
- HMRC updates Statutory Residence Test due to COVID-19
- Scammers are targeting Self-Assessment taxpayers, says HMRC
- Eat Out to Help Out compliance checks underway
- Businesses face legal action over unpaid business rates
- HMRC publishes consultation on MTD for Corporation Tax
- HM Revenue & Customs issues Capital Gains Tax reminder
- Virtual Christmas parties eligible for £150 annual function exemption
- Grandparents set to increase gifting following pandemic and families set to inherit more than expected
- Access to European Union VAT refund system to end on 31 March 2021, HMRC confirms
- Brexit: How to claim grant funding to help cover the costs of completing new customs declarations
- Companies House to scrap paper reminder letters
- Third round of Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) opens on Monday with tighter eligibility criteria
- Important deadlines approach for the furlough scheme
- Spending Review highlights long-term economic impact of Coronavirus pandemic
- The New COVID-19 Tier System
- VAT after the Brexit transition
- IFS predicts tax rises of more than £40 billion a year by the middle of the decade
- More than 50,000 people claim working from home tax relief through HM Revenue & Customs online portal
- HMRC called on to simplify the administration of tax reliefs
- A quarter of businesses don’t think they will be ready for post-Brexit Britain
- HMRC warns taxpayers still aren’t ready for Making Tax Digita
- Homebuyers need to start purchases this month to take advantage of Stamp Duty savings
- Daily penalties waived for Self-Assessment late filing
- Furlough scheme update – Publication of claims and employees serving notice
- Extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme FAQ
- Government extends furlough scheme and provides a boost to SEISS
- Government extends further help to businesses and the self-employed during national lockdown
- National Lockdown – Extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Business Support Update
- Government extends further support to businesses affected by COVID-19
- HM Revenue & Customs publishes further details of the Job Support Scheme
- Annual Investment Allowance – Time is running out
- Accounting for mobile phone use
- Time to prepare (once again) for the VAT reverse charge
- Is the Government considering a National Living Wage freeze?
- Companies House reforms to combat fraud and assist businesses
- Price of plastic bags in England to double to 10p
- New Coronavirus regulations place self-isolation obligations on employers
- Latest SEISS grants introduce new qualifying conditions
- Businesses may be entitled to insurance pay-out after important judgment
- Chancellor expands Job Support Scheme and grants to businesses facing new COVID-19 restrictions
- Government issues new guidance on the Job Retention Bonus
- Download the Government’s guide to the Job Support Scheme
- Important message to clients and friends: We are working remotely on recommendation from the PM, please read the following update
- Chancellor announces new Job Support Scheme and package of business support measures
- Change to Companies House bank detailsanies House bank details
- More than £1 billion in tax reliefs for creative industry
- Advisory Fuel Rates for next quarter come into effect
- Key dates for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
- The first Child Trust Funds (CTFs) can now be claimed
- Four in five SMEs are confident over their Coronavirus recovery
- HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) writes to 3,000 employers over furlough claims
- Government to launch new local lockdown grants
- CBILS ends on 30th September 2020
- How will you rebuild and recover? Funding launched to cover cost of professional advice
- Tax changes outlined in draft Finance Bill 2020 – 2021
- Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme expanded to more businesses
- VAT treatment of imported goods up to £135 to change under new rules
- HM Revenue & Customs publishes Job Retention Bonus guidance
- Small business Covid recovery boosted by £20million in new grants
- HM Revenue & Customs sets out Making Tax Digital plans for VAT and Income Tax
- HM Revenue & Customs sets out details of penalties for breaches of furlough and self-employment scheme rules
- Reminder: VAT payment deferral period has ended
- Banks list top 10 Coronavirus scams
- HM Revenue & Customs issues ‘nudge’ letters to people suspected of having undeclared overseas assets
- Second round of Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) opens on Monday
- Key dates for Coronavirus support schemes, tax and Companies House
- Government extends childcare funding for families affected by the pandemic
- Green Homes Grant guidance published
- Eat Out to Help Out opens for claims
- Key dates for Coronavirus support schemes
- Eat out to help out
- New legislation introduced to protect redundancy pay of furloughed workers
- Seven tips to get start-ups off the ground
- Government confirms Coronavirus tax concessions in amended Finance Bill
- Future Fund expanded to more businesses
- Research finds lack of knowledge, information and skills are key barriers to Making Tax Digital compliance
- New corporate insolvency rules come into effect
- £84 billion of R&D tax credits unclaimed – Could you be eligible for a share of this funding?
- Government confirms Job Retention Bonus of £1,000