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HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has announced trials of a Single Compliance Process for enquiries across a range of different taxes.

By simplifying and standardising the process for compliance checks HMRC will "improve customer experience" and reduce costs as the check will only take as long as the risks and behaviours encountered dictate. 

The trials of the new process will run for six months from 1 June in 10 different locations across the UK:

Reading/Slough,
Newcastle,
Warrington,
York,
Exeter,
London Euston and
Southampton in England;
Cardiff in Wales;
Belfast and
Edinburgh/Dundee.

The new process will be rolled out nationally from January 2012, subject to the results of the trials.

David Gauke, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said:

“This Government is committed to relieving the burden on businesses. We know that agents, individuals and businesses find some of HMRC’s current compliance practices drawn out and costly. A Single Compliance Process could help HMRC improve the customer experience and reduce costs.

HMRC is working directly with agents via the Compliance Reform Forum to help develop it, and will continue to work with them during the pilots.”

The Single Compliance Process will focus solely on the risks and behaviours identified in cases and throughout the life of the compliance check, irrespective of the head of duty (VAT, Income Tax, Corporation Tax and PAYE) involved. The process will be capable of addressing lower risk cases at an appropriate level, but will also increase in intensity should the approach be warranted.