The newly formed Office of Tax Simplification is urging the public and small businesses to tell it how the tax system could be made simpler.

In July the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon. George Osborne MP, announced the establishment of the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS). Its early efforts are to be focussed on conducting a review of existing allowances and reliefs as well as a detailed look at all aspects of taxation affecting small business.

Commenting on the announcement, Nuneaton’s MP Marcus Jones said: “This is a real opportunity for people and businesses in Nuneaton to influence the taxation system and to help make it simpler.

“The Office of Tax Simplification is keen to hear from a wide variety of people and businesses with ideas about how the tax system can be improved. At the moment there are over 1,000 different types of tax relief in our tax system which can be very complex. Another area that needs to be reviewed is IR35, which I know affects many people in Nuneaton.”

IR35 is a term used to denote tax legislation designed to tax "disguised employment" at a rate similar to employment and has been criticised by bodies such as Ernst & Young. IR35 makes it difficult for small businesses to be competitive against large consultancies and encourages offshoring.

Adding, Marcus said: “I would urge all those with suggestions to get in touch with me and I will gladly pass those suggestions to the OTS.”