Preliminary meetings with business, their representatives and advisors to identify priority areas for the detailed review.
Detailed consultation with business, their representatives and advisors on each key area to develop desired outcomes.
Report outcome of the review to the Chancellor
The review team met with a number of businesses, representative bodies and interested parties to discuss the areas of most concern to business and identified priorities for detailed review and initial thoughts on what a successful outcome would look like for both business and HMRC.
At their first meeting on 30 June, the consultative committee discussed the initial themes, preliminary thoughts on areas for detailed review and proposed approach arising from these preliminary meetings. A progress report summarising the outcome of these discussions is set out in Phase I Themes.
In Phase II we have taken each of the Phase I Themes and have been developing our propositions and testing them via further detailed consultation with business, their advisers and representative bodies through a series of workshops and one-to-one discussions. These discussions focused on exploring and understanding the specific concerns in detail, considered potential outcomes and undertook a preliminary assessment of the pros and cons / costs and benefits of alternative outcomes.
We have also explored the role business, their advisers and professional and representatives bodies can play in assisting to deliver the desired outcomes and assessed whether these potential outcomes meet the needs of both business and HMRC.
As we are looking to build on the 2001 Hartnett Review we have, during Phase II, undertaken further work on assessing the implementation of those recommendations, and are in the process of determining the appropriate actions to take these forward.
At the interim meeting on 11 September, the committee discussed the developing propositions and potential outcomes from Phase II. A brief high level report of these discussions is set out in Phase II overview.
The report will be drafted and reviewed by a final meeting of the Consultative Committee on 20 October, prior to reporting to the Chancellor in advance of the Pre-Budget Report 2006.
