HMRC has responded to a Freedom of Information request and confirmed the following:
• The new Business Records Checks (BRC) annual target is 20,000 visits, a 30,000 reduction from the original objective of 50,000, as outlined in the BRC Consultation Paper.
• The 20,000 annual target has been reduced on a pro rata basis for this tax year. 12,000 BRC visits are due to be conducted before March 2012.
• The 30 staff who carried out the original ‘Test and Learn’ BRC visits between April and July from Edinburgh, Irvine, Liverpool, Manchester, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Stockport and Sunderland tax offices are going to be assisted by a further 90 staff. More tax offices are going to be involved. The additional 90 staff are being drafted on to the BRC Team between September and November 2011.
In addition to this second round of BRC visits which have already begun, HMRC is also revisiting businesses deemed to have been keeping inadequate records during the first ‘Test and Learn’ exercise. The follow up letters state the intention is ‘to check that the appropriate improvements have been made.’
There is no official clarification from HMRC yet as to whether fines will be levied for poor record keeping during the second round of BRC visits, although HMRC has previously said that businesses visited during the ‘Test and Learn’ phase would not receive fines unless in the most significant circumstances.
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