HMRC takes tax digital with online Personal Tax Accounts

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced the launch of Personal Tax Accounts accessible online to enable UK taxpayers to manage their tax affairs in a digital format.

By the middle of this month, over a million UK taxpayers completing their self-assessment tax return will be directed to their new online Personal Tax Account (PTA).

The system will provide a clear and joined-up view of the tax individuals actually pay and the benefits they are entitled to. With real-time updates, taxpayers can update their tax details without the need to resubmit data.

It’s hoped that the PTA infrastructure will make it easier and more efficient to liaise with HMRC officials through services like web chat and virtual assistant. The PTA is the next step forward towards a wholly digital tax service for the UK, as discussed in today’s published document ‘Making Tax Digital’, which HMRC aims to achieve by 2020.

David Gauke, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said: “Giving customers the ability to manage their tax affairs online is our latest step towards a fully digital tax system.

“This Government is determined to revolutionise how we deliver public services and the tax system is no exception.

“By 2020 HMRC will be a world-leading tax administration that is efficient, effective and easier for customers to use, enabled by £1.3 billion of extra investment announced in November’s Autumn Statement.”

There are four cornerstones to HMRC’s ‘Making Tax Digital’ proposal:

• Tax simplification

• Tax all in one place

• Making tax digital for individual taxpayers

• Making tax digital for businesses too

Ruth Owen, Director General of Personal Tax, HMRC, said: “The launch of Personal tax Accounts is a ground-breaking development for HMRC and our customers.

“Remember when you started banking online? Well, this is the equivalent shift in service for the majority of our customers wanting to do business with us online.

“We’ll be developing the PTA further so it will become the one place to go for all our customers to do business with HMRC.”

Date published 14 Dec 2015 | Last updated 14 Dec 2015