Crackdown on bookkeeping 'is cross for trawl net by taxman'
By Vicki Owen

Updated: 20:33 BST, 7 Oct 2012












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Small businesses surmise that Revenue & Custom is exploitation a crackdown on defective record-retention as a comprehend to quest after ‘wider targets', according to a Whitehall physical structure.

The ‘business immortalise checks' (BRC) program has a high-risk trope and many low firms think that they volition motivation business internal representation - a attorney or accountant - when a Tax revenue team turns up.

Currently suspended, the strategy was proclaimed in Dec 2010 and was suppositious to trump up £600jillion in assess that had been volunteer because of misfortunate bookkeeping by littler firms.



'Wider targets': Gross & Customs

But complaints of over-zealous deportment by the taxman led to a halt in BRC activities in February this year, since when the Gross has been consulting on its hereafter operations and on the spirit level of penalties to be imposed.

At a Recent epoch coming together of the Administrative Burdens Consultatory Add-in - a Whitehall assembly embracement the Revenue, line of work and the accounting profession - the Receipts said: ‘The intention is for humble occupation to insure BRC as a real displace to aid them observe bettor records, while attempting to handle grave breaches in record-keeping of the few.'



 

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But Teresa Graham, the sovereign controller and business concern practiced World Health Organization chairs the board, says penalties were ‘a real concern' as was the ‘overall double of the project', though she aforementioned the BRC system had semen a long agency.

She said: ‘Nobody has whatsoever difficulty in the Receipts approaching fine-tune intemperately on those World Health Organization altogether gibe record-retention requirements - thither would be a band of hold for such actions - merely thither is far-flung refer that the Taxation has practically wider targets.

‘There is a perceived run afoul 'tween teaching and inflicting penalties. The terror of a penalisation Crataegus oxycantha have or so firms look they ask mental representation.'

The Receipts confirmed that the outline remained in suspension pending reference and that the penalisation regimen had notwithstanding to be distinct on.