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The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) set itself the task of compiling a list of all tax reliefs, allowances and exemptions available for businesses and individuals and has just published the results - see Tax Reliefs Review

They have reached a grand total of 1,042 such reliefs.

This wasn't just for fun: the intention is to rationalise those reliefs, both in terms of overall numbers and individual complexity. But while the total number of reliefs has caught everyone by surprise - apparently even those who prepared the list were expecting 'just' a few hundred at most - the vast majority appear still to be relevant and valid.

Of course there are some reliefs which may seem bizarre, such as for the importation of Angostura bitters; (but note the parallel relief on Excise taxes for alcoholic ingredients); or anachronistic, such as the miserly 15 pence a day allowance for luncheon vouchers. (And we also have provisions for workplace canteens). But it is hard to find more than a handful that might realistically be abolished without causing genuine difficulties for some people, or some businesses.

Many professional advisers will be on nodding terms with a great number of these reliefs, will have an appreciation of why they came about, and will know how important they are, despite their obscurity: they might only affect a 'once-in-a-lifetime' transaction, but they are no less important for it. For instance, they allow people to preserve their capital when they sell their home, or to give works of art to the public, without also having to pay Inheritance Tax or Capital Gains Tax. They also allow people to play cards at home with their friends and family, without maybe having to pay gambling duty. Or that there's no VAT on talking books for the blind. And they promote investment in 'risky' small companies to boost the economy, and thermal insulation for commercial buildings to combat climate change...

It may well be appropriate - obvious, even - that the OTS makes the effort to take stock of these reliefs and consider their respective merits. And in an era of austerity, it makes sense to question whether or not they relieve genuine hardship, encourage certain behaviours or serve some other beneficial purpose.

The sheer volume of these provisions undoubtedly adds to the complexity of the UK tax system. And probably some of them should go. But a lot of thought has gone into most of these provisions as well, at one time or another. General policy - and the tax landscape itself - is continually evolving, and some of these reliefs may no longer coincide with the present government's intentions. But all in all, the OTS may well find it difficult to cut back on these provisions, without (or before) overhauling or rethinking the tax landscape in much broader terms.

One final thought: there isn't much point in having a relief if it isn't used - which may be because it doesn't often apply, or perhaps because people who are eligible don't know it exists, and therefore don't claim it. Interested parties should perhaps consider campaigning for reliefs they want to keep, sooner rather than later.