AAT Public Affairs & Public Policy activities: August 2022

Every month AAT summarises some of the key Public Affairs & Public Policy activities undertaken on behalf of our members.

Below you will find some key highlights for August 2022.

Another AAT campaign success – Help to Grow

Following hot on the heels of the AAT campaign success around Help to Grow (Digital) in July, last month the government also confirmed it would adopt a number of AAT recommendations in relation to its Help to Grow (Management) scheme.

AAT campaigned for the government to:

• Allow more than one person per company to participate
• End the exclusion of those who have been on the Small Business Leadership Programme to enable them to participate
• Allow businesses with fewer than 5 employees to participate

The first two of these recommendations were accepted by government. The third was not, which is odd given they agreed to this improvement for the Help to Grow Digital scheme. AAT will continue to campaign for that change too but the above still represents a welcome widening of eligibility and will help many of our members, their clients, and employers who are keen to improve their management skills.

Another AAT campaign success – legislation for compulsory professional body membership

Following AAT commissioned YouGov survey results showing 82% of MPs want accountants/tax advisers to be qualified, a Labour MP has agreed to table a Private Members Bill when Parliament returns later this month.

A Private Members Bill is just like any other legislation but as the name suggests, it’s tabled by MPs who are not part of the government.

Around 150 are tabled in each Parliamentary session of which approximately 5% become law – so not a huge chance of success.

However, although most do not become law, they very often influence government legislation, are sometimes incorporated into new government legislation and in almost every case serve as a good opportunity to increase politicians, and other stakeholders, awareness and understanding of the issue. In this case it will inevitably be of interest to HMRC who are likely to consult on the issue later this year as part of their “Raising standards in the tax advice market” agenda.

Parliamentary engagement

Engagement with 12 Parliamentarians took place in August, relating to the issue of unqualified accountants, tax avoidance and cryptocurrencies.

Non-Parliamentary engagement

AAT engaged with more than 40 external individuals and organisations in August 2022 including academics in Plymouth, the Low Pay Commission, ASOS, most of the other tax and accountancy professional bodies and the FSB, Forum for Private Business and many others.

AAT consultations, calls for evidence & inquiry responses

AAT submitted a comprehensive response to the Labour Party’s Review of start-ups policy, a response to the Treasury Select Committee inquiry into crypto-assets and another into tax reliefs.

All three of these consultation responses will be available on the AAT Policy page later this month.