Welcome to the latest edition of Technical Roundup.  In developments since the last edition, Chartered Accountants Ireland has published new 'Guidance for audit evidence and documentation' for members in practice carrying out audits (in Ireland and the UK) for this busy season. Accountancy Europe has issued a new factsheet on the 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (6AMLD) highlighting the key elements of the directive that are most relevant for accountants, auditors and tax advisers. Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below.  Financial Reporting The Pensions Research Accountants Group (PRAG) has finalised its amendments to the Pension Statement of Recommended Practice (Pension SORP) and has issued the new SORP which will be effective for periods commencing on or after 1 January 2026. The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) has published its Feedback Statement on the post-implementation review of IFRS 16 Leases. This summarises feedback received and findings from outreach with different stakeholders. The UK Endorsement Board has published the 2026 consolidated UK-adopted international accounting standards. The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) has updated its guidance setting out IOSCO's expectations for issuers with respect to the presentation of financial measures other than those prescribed by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), so called 'non-GAAP financial measures'. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has issued its March 2026 IFRS for SMEs Accounting Standard Update. The IFRS Foundation Trustees held their first Plenary meeting of the year where the issues of sustainable funding, succession planning and the development of the Foundation’s long-term strategy were discussed. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has published updated guidance on 'comply or explain' reporting, designed to help investors, proxy advisors and other users of corporate reporting better understand and appreciate the value of companies that choose to depart from provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code. Auditing and Assurance  The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has published new Interim Guidance on Payment and E-Money Safeguarding Assurance Engagements, providing support for safeguarding auditors as payment and e-money institutions prepare to transition to the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA’s) new Supplementary Regime, which comes into force on 7 May 2026. This guidance provides principles to support high quality, consistent safeguarding assurance engagements from implementation of the new rules until the FRC issues a dedicated safeguarding assurance standard following public consultation, expected in 2027. IAASA published its 2025 quality assurance review reports in respect of seven firms that perform statutory audits of public-interest entities (PIEs) in Ireland. The reports summarise IAASA’s inspection of each firm’s internal system of quality management. The reports include findings and recommendations made by IAASA to the firms regarding these systems. Chartered Accountants Ireland published new 'Guidance for audit evidence and documentation' to members in practice carrying out audits (in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the UK) for this busy season. This guidance is based on common issues arising on audit monitoring visits and will support members with understanding requirements when it comes to gathering sufficient appropriate (relevant and reliable) evidence to support financial statement balances, transactions, and disclosures that are assessed as material during the audit. This is to ensure compliance with International Standards on Auditing (ISA) 230 Audit Documentation and ISA 500 Audit Evidence. Insolvency The Institute’s Insolvency Committee has recently published Technical Alert 01 2026 Control of Cases for Insolvency Practitioners. This guidance paper notes that insolvency appointments are taken in a personal capacity by Insolvency Practitioners. It discusses decision making, managing risk, delegation and control of appointments. On 10 March 2026, the European Parliament formally adopted at first reading a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council harmonising certain aspects of insolvency law (procedure 2022/0408(COD)). We will keep members updated on the further progress of the Directive, which aims to improve cross border efficiencies, in due course. Sustainability  The European Commission (EC) has published draft Commission Delegated Regulations (draft delegated acts) proposing amendments to the EU Taxonomy climate and environmental delegated acts. The comment period ends on 14 April 2026. The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has released a webcast Climate resilience and climate-related scenario analysis requirements in IFRS S2. This webcast discusses some of the requirements of the S2 standard and how companies might meet their reporting requirements in relation to climate resilience and the use of climate-related scenario analysis. This factsheet also provides an overview of the webcast. As the number of companies preparing their Sustainability Report using the Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for non-listed SMEs (VSME) increases, EFRAG is asking preparers to contribute to the development of the standard by completing a survey and submitting their report. The feedback received from this initiative will be used to develop their VSME Ecosystem. EFRAG has launched its new interactive version of their Technical Advice on the Draft Simplified ESRS on their Knowledge Hub. This allows users to explore the advice and understand how the proposed simplifications connect to the 2023 version of the ESRS. Anti-money laundering, sanctions, and Authorised Corporate Service Provider registration  This month Accountancy Europe submitted its feedback and recommendations to the Anti Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) in response to its public consultation on draft regulatory technical standards  concerning pecuniary sanctions, administrative measures, and periodic penalty payments under Article 53(10) of Directive (EU) 2024/1640. The Institute contributed its response through Accountancy Europe. The UK has performed a cross-government review of sanctions implementation and enforcement. The policy paper UK Government's strategic approach to sanctions enforcement sets out the government’s approach to sanctions enforcement and emphasises the importance of strong compliance. It outlines key enforcement principles and the potential consequences of non-compliance. The National Crime Agency’s latest  SARs in Action No 35 is now available. It contains articles on Payment Diversion Fraud in Property Sales, Company Impersonation Fraud and some information on crypto investment fraud with links to videos and an info sheet. The UK Government has published its Fraud Strategy 2026 to 2029. The strategy focuses on three pillars - Disrupt, Safeguard and Respond - and places a lot of emphasis on infrastructure: telecoms networks, online platforms, financial systems and corporate structures. AMLA will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, in two sessions regarding two draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTSs). The draft RTSs include Criteria for Identifying Business Relationships, Occasional and Linked Transactions and lower thresholds and Customer Due Diligence (which are both open for public consultation until 8 May). Participation in the public hearing sessions requires registration. All details are available here on AMLA's website including how to register for the public hearing sessions. AMLA launched the data collection exercise to test risk assessment models. This includes publishing a reporting package for its data collection and testing exercise. Sampled entities are invited to download the template and access a recorded webinar addressing key questions. The data collection and testing exercise will inform the selection, taking place in 2027, of up to 40 entities for AMLA's direct supervision starting in 2028, and to ensure that money laundering risks of credit and financial institutions are assessed consistently by supervisors across the EU. All entities taking part in this exercise have already been notified by their national competent authorities. Accountancy Europe published a new factsheet on the 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (6AMLD), highlighting the key elements of the 6AMLD that are most relevant for accountants, auditors, and tax advisers. To complement the factsheet, Accountancy Europe also released a practical briefing paper titled '5 ways the 6AMLD will impact accountants and auditors in practice'. This paper translates the supervisory and institutional reforms introduced by the Directive into clear and practical insights for firms. Accountancy Europe published an associated press release regarding the 6AMLD factsheet and the briefing paper. Chartered Accountants Ireland recently published tips and pointers for practice in relation to the UK Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs) regime. This article considers several strands of the regime, including registration as an ACSP and performing verification and filing. It also considers some challenges, which have arisen for member firms in cases where they are not eligible to register as an ACSP, and explores further if there are any solutions member firms can adopt. Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) The CBI's Deputy Governor Mary-Elizabeth McMunn delivered a speech at the Outcomes-focused Regulation in Financial Services conference, University College Dublin (UCD) on 9 March regarding 'Regulating with purpose: outcomes-focused regulation and supervision, a practitioner’s perspective'. The CBI published its annual 'Demographics Analysis 2025: Applications for Pre-Approval Controlled Function (PCF) roles within Regulated Firms' report. Each year, the CBI reports on demographics of the applications received from firms for Central Bank approval for certain senior roles in financial firms in Ireland. This is part of the CBI's commitment to monitor and report on the level of diversity in the sector. The CBI's Gerry Cross, Director of Capital Markets & Funds delivered a speech at the CASP Industry Briefing covering recent developments across the sector, insights to help firms currently in the authorisation process to navigate the remainder of that process, and additional perspective on what it means to be a supervised CASP. The speech highlighted various key areas for the CASP industry including the importance of ensuring digital operational resilience, and keeping consumers front of mind, while also having a strong focus on governance, the safekeeping of client assets, and combatting money laundering and terrorist financing. The CBI published its latest Insurance Newsletter, which includes updates regarding results and feedback from a recent AI survey for the insurance sector, the new AML/CFT Risk Evaluation Questionnaire (REQ), reporting Registers of Information required by DORA, and other relevant Central Bank updates. Colm Kincaid, Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Ireland appeared at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach and gave an opening statement outlining the role of non-bank entities in the Irish mortgage market. Artificial Intelligence The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) has released the results of a year-long research study into generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) and professional judgement in accounting. Data Protection The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) have adopted a Joint Opinion on the European Commission’s proposal for a Cybersecurity Act 2 (CSA2) and the proposal on amendments to the Network and Information Security 2 (NIS2) Directive. The EDPB and the EDPS support the general objective to strengthen the role of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and to facilitate the uptake of cybersecurity certification, as well as the objective to further address the various risks to ICT supply chains. The joint opinion also highlights that while effectiveness is an important focus for cybersecurity measures, necessity and proportionality need to be considered. The EDPB launched its Coordinated Enforcement Framework (CEF) action for 2026. Following a year-long coordinated action on the right to erasure in 2025, the CEF's focus this year will shift to compliance with the obligations of transparency and information under the GDPR. During 2026, 25 Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) across Europe will take part in this initiative. They will look closely to assess the compliance of controllers with their transparency obligations under the GDPR. Internal Audit The CEO of the UK and Ireland Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) recently published a blog regarding how internal auditors can support organisations in times of unexpected and unpredictable events particularly in the context of current geopolitical risks. The blog also highlights the importance of being resilient and the various resources available to internal auditors when supporting organisations in times of unexpected events. The UK and Ireland Chartered IIA published a white paper titled ‘Artificial Intelligence and Internal Audit: Opportunities, Risks and Future Directions’. The paper summarises insights from a Chartered IIA roundtable, hosted with Diligent in September 2025 regarding AI adoption in Internal Audit including an overview of four use cases demonstrating practical application of AI by internal audit professionals using AI in live engagements. Other News A dedicated section on Ireland.ie - managed and curated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on behalf of the government - now highlights how Ireland implements EU law in a bid to improve transparency. The dedicated page provides up-to-date information for the public on the performance of government departments in transposing EU directives into Irish law. The European Commission presented its proposal for EU Inc. to unlock the full potential of the Single Market for Europe's entrepreneurs.  EU Inc. will include a new single set of corporate rules and will be the starting point for the EU's 28th regime providing an optional, digital-by-default European corporate framework. The EU Inc. proposal aims to reduce fragmentation, boost EU competitiveness, and respond to the needs of innovative companies. The EU Inc. proposal will now be discussed by the European Parliament and the Council. Accountancy Europe has welcomed the European Union’s proposal for a “28th Regime”, which aims to foster cross-border growth for European countries. Accountancy Europe are also co-organising an event on 13 April entitled “The 28th regime: what’s in it for SMEs?” which will discuss the proposed regime. Accountancy Europe has also issued its March 2026 SME Update. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published its first risk monitoring report of 2026 detailing the current risks and vulnerabilities in EU financial markets. Tánaiste and Minister of Finance, Simon Harris, recently signed into law the Statutory Instruments creating the Irish framework of the European Single Access Point (ESAP). The ESAP will be an EU-wide data portal, which will be a centralised free source of public information about EU companies and investment products. The portal, which will be established via EU legislation, aims to improve public access to companies’ financial and non-financial information, including information for SMEs. The ESAP will be established and administered by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). Designated national collection bodies as well as the European Supervisory Authorities will provide data to ESMA for the purposes of ESAP. For further information, please see ESMA's ESAP dedicated webpage. The European Commission announced a €75 million EURO-3C Project to build a federated Telco-Edge-Cloud infrastructure for digital sovereignty. This landmark project will showcase Europe's ability to deliver cutting-edge digital services entirely through its own connectivity infrastructure, reducing reliance on third country providers.  For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub on the Institute website.           This information is provided as resources and information only and nothing in the information purports to provide professional advice or definitive legal interpretation(s) or opinion(s) on the applicable legislation or legal or other matters referred to in the information. If the reader is in doubt on any matter in this complex area further legal or other advice must be obtained. While every reasonable care has been taken by the Institute in the preparation of the information, we do not guarantee the accuracy or veracity of any resource, guidance, information or opinion, or the appropriateness, suitability or applicability of any practice or procedure contained therein. The Institute is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of the resources or information contained herein.  

Members and guests gathered for a special evening marking both the launch of Important Work: a History of Irish Chartered & Certified Public Accountants and the centenary of CPA Ireland. The event provided an opportunity to reflect on more than a century of the contribution, integrity, and public trust Chartered Accountants have made across the island for more than 100 years.  The event also looked firmly to the future. University of Limerick's Professor of Economics Stephen Kinsella delivered an insightful keynote speech on the economic forces reshaping Ireland and the critical role trusted business leaders play in guiding organisations through uncertainty. His perspectives underscored a central theme of our advocacy work: highlighting the contribution accountants make to the Irish economy, what their role has been historically, what it is today across every sector, and what it could be as the profession continues to evolve.  He explored the wider economic landscape, including risks such as Ireland’s reliance on FDI, the speed of digitalisation, and the disruptive impact of AI. Crucially, he pointed to the opportunities ahead: accountants stepping further into higher‑value advisory roles, particularly for indigenous and growing SMEs, and supporting organisations as they navigate complexity. As Ireland moves deeper into an AI‑heavy, data‑driven economy, he emphasised that the profession must continue to adapt while preserving the trust‑based advisory relationship that underpins its public value. His perspective underscored the importance of our ongoing work to champion the future of the profession.  As members connected and celebrated our shared history, the evening reinforced the powerful message that the next chapter of the profession will be defined by trusted business leadership, adaptability, and its continuing contribution to Ireland’s economic progress.      You can access the book Important Work: A History of Irish Chartered & Certified Public Accountants below:    Via free downloadable PDF on our website. Via free downloadable ePub. You can view photos from the event here.

Chartered Accountants Ireland represented members in a packed programme of engagement across Washington DC and New York this St Patrick’s Day, bringing the voice of Trusted Business Leadership to Ireland’s most important transatlantic relationships.  Institute President Pamela McCreedy FCA, FCPA and Deputy President Joan Curry FCA FCPA represented the Institute across a schedule of high-level events, highlighting the considerable contribution that our more than 750 members living and working in the US make to the American economy across all industries.They were accompanied by Executive Head of Global Engagement Zara Duffy and District and Global Member Manager Gillian Duffy. In New York, the Institute participated in Ireland Day 2026 at the New York Stock Exchange, joining leaders from the Irish Government, Irish state agencies and Irish American businesses to discuss how the transatlantic relationship has prospered and how it can be maintained and grown into the future. The Institute made a compelling case for the unique convening capability that Chartered Accountants Ireland holds as an all-island body with members spanning every business sector to play an active and meaningful role in optimising these opportunities.  In Washington, engagements included the Enterprise Ireland lunch and the Ireland Funds Gala 50th Anniversary dinner which reinforced the depth of the Irish American economic partnership, with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin highlighting how Irish companies are vital to the US economy, creating jobs and driving innovation, while American businesses continue to invest in Ireland. At the NI Bureau Breakfast, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly captured the spirit of the visit: “Nothing happens without relationships.”  That is precisely why this trip matters. At a time of global uncertainty, being present, visible and active at the highest levels of Irish-American engagement is how Chartered Accountants Ireland continues to serve its members and champion the profession on the world stage.  The trip ended with the group and 35 Chartered Accountants Ireland's New York member chapter members attending a St Patrick's night event in Carnegie Hall, with a performance by renowned fiddler, Martin Hayes. The visit was coordinated in collaboration with the New York member chapter – just one of the Institute's 15 member chapters operating around the world, allowing members to maintain connections with each other and the Institute at home.  

The Institute’s Insolvency Committee has recently published Technical Alert 01 2026 Control of Cases for Insolvency Practitioners.  This guidance paper notes that insolvency appointments are taken in a personal capacity by Insolvency Practitioners. It discusses decision making, managing risk, delegation and control of appointments.

Proposals for a common rulebook to simplify business administration across the Single Market and boost EU competitiveness were presented by European Commissioner Michael McGrath, to the European College of Commissioners today. Chartered Accountants Ireland, the largest professional body on the island of Ireland notes the significant opportunity the proposals represent for Irish businesses, by removing market fragmentation, allowing businesses to operate across the Single Market under one coherent – and more predictable- set of rules and facilitating much-needed investment in Irish businesses.  The EU Inc. proposal is a new EU-wide legal framework designed to make it easier to set up, scale up and invest across the Single Market. It will provide an alternative to the complex and differing regulations faced by businesses that want to expand across different Member States. Under EU Inc., each company will be automatically recognised in all Member States, a key step in removing internal barriers and maximising free movement within the EU.  Cróna Clohisey, Director of Members and Advocacy at Chartered Accountants Ireland, said: “‘EU Inc.’ represents a significant opportunity for Irish businesses, vastly reducing the amount of EU-level compliance required. We therefore strongly support the once-only, digital-first approach in simplifying administration and cutting red tape, which will help reduce costs and ease the burden of regulatory compliance. With a market of 450 million people, the European Single Market is the world’s largest trading bloc and for Irish companies wishing to expand into other Member States, this regulation is an essential first step towards reducing burdensome administration costs and enabling easier access to the European market.    “We are pleased to see that our recommendation to remove tax and labour law from the proposal was taken on board as inclusion of them would have complicated and delayed this vital legislation. We will continue to raise issues to enhance competitiveness and reduce red tape, and, in that context, we have consistently called for the harmonisation of statutory audit requirements, as inconsistency across EU Member States in this respect would present a barrier to fulfilling the promise of the EU Inc proposal.   The Institute welcomed Commissioner McGrath’s intention to adopt these proposals as a regulation, which will ensure consistency across the EU and ensure the proposals work in harmony with Member States’ national company laws. Concluding Ms Clohisey said “The Commission has set an objective to finalise these proposals by the end of the year. We encourage the Government to be proactive during Ireland’s Presidency of the European Council to advance EU Inc. and ensure that SMEs across Europe can realise their potential.” The Institute notes that there is no public consultation planned and the proposals will move directly to discussions by the European Parliament and the Council with the objective to reach agreement on adoption by the end of the year. It is expected that EU Inc. will be operational by 2027. ENDS    

In Irish news, at the UK-Ireland Summit last week the leaders of the Irish and UK Governments signalled support for a bilateral agreement on cross-border working arrangements and we bring you an update from the recent meeting of the TALC Collections sub-committee. In UK news, we cover the latest developments ahead of the Making Tax Digital for Income Tax launch in three weeks, and this week’s Cross-Border Trading Corner looks at how small businesses can help shape the revamped Trader Support Service due later this year. In International news this week, the European Commission refers Spain for a ruling following their failure to transpose certain VAT measures into national law. Ireland 1. Read about last Friday’s UK–Ireland Summit, where both Governments indicated their support for a bilateral cross‑border working agreement.   2. Review the updates from the March TALC Collections sub-committee meeting which the Institute recently attended. UK 3. We share the key updates as the launch of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax approaches.   4. This week’s cross-border trading corner explores how small businesses can participate in research in the redesign of Trader Support Service. International 5. The European Commission has referred Spain for a ruling after it failed to transpose certain VAT measures into national law. Keep up to date with all the latest Irish, UK, and international tax developments through Chartered Accountants Ireland’s Tax Newsletter. Subscribe to the Tax News by updating your preferences in MyAccount.

From the Professional Accountancy team…... Members may be interested in some opportunities for engagement with the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA). The first is  two public hearings that AMLA  will hold on Tuesday, 24 March 2026. The sessions will focus on two of the regulatory technical standards (RTSs), which are currently open to public consultation and which AMLA is drafting as part of its mandate to implement the Single European Rulebook for AML under the 6th AML Directive (AMLD 6), the Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR), and the Regulation establishing the AMLA.   The hearing regarding the draft RTS on Customer Due Diligence will be held on Tuesday, 24 March 2026 | 12:30–14:30 (Dublin ). Click for further details and registration. The other session regarding the draft RTS on Criteria for Identifying Business Relationships, Occasional and Linked Transactions and lower thresholds will be held earlier on Tuesday, 24 March 2026 | 09:00–11:00 (Dublin). Click for further details and registration. Click to read more about the Consultation on the draft RTS on Customer Due Diligence Click to read more about the Consultation on the Draft RTS on Criteria for Identifying Business Relationships, Occasional and Linked Transactions and lower thresholds The consultations will close on 8 May 2026. The content of the draft RTSs will be part of the AML regulatory regime upon the coming into force of the majority of the Single European Rulebook in July 2027. Members are encouraged to take the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the content of the draft RTSs and to engage with the hearings and consultations. The Institute will engage in some further outreach to seek members’ views before the conclusion of the public consultations in May. This information is provided as resources and information only and nothing in these pages purports to provide professional advice or definitive legal interpretation(s) or opinion(s) on the applicable legislation or legal or other matters referred to in the pages. If the reader is in doubt on any matter in this complex area further legal or other advice must be obtained. While every reasonable care has been taken by the Institute in the preparation of these pages, we do not guarantee the accuracy or veracity of any resource, guidance, information or opinion, or the appropriateness, suitability or applicability of any practice or procedure contained therein. The Institute is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of the resources or information contained in these pages.  

The latest UK tax tidbits features guidance across a wide range of areas. Check if a QR code on a letter you've received from HMRC is genuine, Check the recognised overseas pension schemes notification list, Named tax avoidance schemes, promoters, enablers and suppliers, Claiming Theatre Tax Relief for Corporation Tax, Claiming High-end Television Tax Relief for Corporation Tax, Creative industry tax reliefs for Corporation Tax, Creative industry tax reliefs for Corporation Tax, Claiming Children’s Television Tax Relief for Corporation Tax, Claiming Audio-Visual Expenditure Credits for Corporation Tax, Claiming Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief for Corporation Tax, Claiming Video Games Tax Relief for Corporation Tax, Claiming Video Games Expenditure Credits for Corporation Tax, Claiming Animation Tax Relief for Corporation Tax, Claiming Film Tax Relief for Corporation Tax, HMRC email updates, videos and webinars for Self-Assessment, Work out pay from an umbrella company, CWG2: further guide to PAYE and National Insurance contributions, Pension schemes: report of relevant benefit crystallisation events or transferring relieved relevant non-UK scheme assets (APSS 252), Apply for Home Responsibilities Protection, HMRC email updates, videos and webinars about creative industries reliefs and expenditure credits, Check if a business is registered for money laundering supervision, Courier deliveries to HMRC: PO box and BX postcodes, Bereavement and deceased estate: enquiries, Check genuine HMRC contact that uses more than one communication method, How to complete your Stamp Duty Land Tax SDLT1 paper return, Advisory fuel rates, and Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief.  

In this week’s cross-border trading corner, we bring you the latest guidance updates and publications. The most recent Trader Support Service bulletin is also available as is the latest Brexit and Beyond newsletter from the Northern Ireland Assembly EU Affairs team. HMRC is also seeking the assistance of small business owners to help shape the future of the new Trader Support Service. Research sessions: new Trader Support Service (TSS) HMRC is seeking small business owners across the UK to participate in research which aims to make the new TSS as efficient and user-friendly as possible. As recommended by Chartered Accountants Ireland, the TSS will become a permanent service providing support for businesses that move goods in or out of Northern Ireland. The service will also help businesses navigate changes to import and export policy. Business owners can sign up for the research sessions online. Miscellaneous guidance updates and publications This week’s miscellaneous guidance updates and publications are as follows: Community and Common Transit UK offices list, Customs Declaration Service error codes, Classifying toys and games for import and export, Notice to exporters 2026/04: transmission issues between LITE/SPIRE and CDS, Making an import declaration in your records, Moving sheepmeat, poultry and beef to Northern Ireland from outside the UK and EU, Report exports that arrived or left a UK port that were not notified in CDS, Report and manage your allowance for Customs Duty waiver claims: service availability and issues, Customs Importer and Exporter Population: 2025, Customs Technical Handbooks, Customs Supervised Export overview, Customs Supervised Export, Designated Export Place, and Designated Export Place overview.  

In this week’s detailed miscellaneous updates which you can read more about below, the National Audit Office has published its latest tax focused report, ‘Taxing Large Businesses’, and HMRC has published a consultation on modernising and standardising company tax returns. In other news this week: Ahead of mandatory payrolling of benefits in kind (BIKs) from April 2027, employers who have not previously payrolled BIKs who would like to do so from 2026/27 have until 5 April 2026 to register with HMRC, Members of the House of Lords recently concluded report stage of the National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill, HMRC has published a page collating all the explanatory notes and tax information and impact notes for Government amendments in the report stage of the latest Finance Bill which was debated by the House of Commons Public Bill Committee last week,  From 1 April 2026, businesses wanting to use the VAT import one stop shop scheme will be able to register via an agent, The latest schedule of HMRC Talking Points live and recorded webinars for tax agents is available for booking. Spaces are limited, so take a look now and save your place, and finally, Check HMRC’s online services availability page for details of planned downtime and the online services affected. National Audit Office report ‘Taxing Large Businesses’ The National Audit Office (NAO) has published its latest tax focused report, ‘Taxing Large Businesses’. The report examines whether HMRC’s approach to large business tax compliance is delivering value for money and covers: the taxes paid by large businesses, HMRC’s approach to working with large businesses, and the effectiveness of HMRC’s approach. In arriving at its conclusions, the NAO’s work was designed to test the effectiveness and productivity of HMRC’s approach, and it also focused on the work of HMRC’s large business directorate. However, the report does not  examine in detail how each of the tax regimes affecting large businesses operate, nor the rules determining how much each business should pay. It also has not examined the amount of tax paid by individual businesses, or whether these amounts are correct. The report concludes that there is little doubt that HMRC’s compliance work with large businesses offers good value for money. £337 billion in taxes was collected from large businesses in 2024/25, including those taxes that large businesses pay directly and those they pay on behalf of their employees and customers. The collection of £15.8 billion in additional taxes by HMRC’s large business directorate brought in £95 for every £1 spent on staff pay, four times more than what HMRC achieves across all taxpayers, which represents a good return on investment. The NAO also found that large businesses carry particularly significant tax risks, hence HMRC’s enhanced focus on them through a separate directorate makes sense. However, the size of the large business tax gap relative to revenue is low. Large businesses also rate their experience of dealing with HMRC highly compared to other taxpayer groups. The NAO’s report director has summarised its findings in a video which can be found on the report’s overview page. HMRC consults on modernising and standardising company tax returns HMRC recently opened the consultation ‘Modernising and standardising company tax returns’ which was first announced at the 2025 Autumn Budget last November.  The consultation seeks views on: the proposed implementation timescales and enforcement options for prescribing the format, content and data tagging of Corporation Tax computations, and mandatory online filing of amended company tax returns. The consultation sets out exemptions that would apply to mandatory online filing of amendments and seeks views on whether any additional exemptions should be considered. It also asks whether, for practical reasons, mandation should commence later than 1 April 2027. HMRC invites views on this consultation no later than 2 June 2026. The following consultation was also recently opened ‘Extend Notification of Uncertain Tax Treatment regime’ and closes on 4 June 2026.

HMRC regularly publishes information on additions to the lists of territories that have qualifying income inclusion rules and qualifying domestic top-up taxes for the purpose of the UK’s Pillar Two Multinational Top-up Tax. These have recently been updated as set out below. The full list of territories is included in the Multinational Top-up Tax and Domestic Top-up Tax manual. The latest update was last month  when Hong Kong and Qatar were added to all three lists and Bahrain was added to lists 1.2 (qualifying domestic top-up taxes) and 1.3 (accredited qualifying domestic top-up taxes).

In just three weeks’ time, Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax kicks off. As a result, HMRC has sent an email rounding up the latest news which we have set out below, in addition to some other updates. Together with the other Professional Bodies, the Institute is participating in a new Professional Body led forum which is escalating issues on MTD for Income Tax directly to HMRC. Members are encouraged to share queries with the Institute which can then be raised with HMRC directly via this forum. You can also visit our MTD for Income Tax hub for guidance and assistance. And finally, later this week the MTD for Income Tax service, which allows agents to sign up clients, will be closed for maintenance from 5pm on Friday 20 March 2026 until 1pm next Tuesday 24 March 2026. Penalties Updated guidance on late submission and payment penalties has now been published by HMRC. Late submission penalties use a points system so that a financial penalty is only charged where deadlines are repeatedly missed and the late payment penalties are based on the time taken to pay the tax due. According to HMRC, these changes support the introduction of MTD for Income Tax for voluntary and mandated taxpayers ahead of the extension of these new penalty rules to all individual Income Tax Self-Assessment taxpayers from April 2027. Exemptions HMRC continues to receive applications for exemption from MTD for Income Tax. The following updated guidance pages explain more about this process:  Find out if you can get an exemption from Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: this now contains the full list of exemptions, and Apply for an exemption from Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: this fully explains the process of applying for exemptions if one is not automatically available.  HMRC has also advised that if a taxpayer or agent writes to HMRC to request an exemption, you should use one of the following subject titles on your letter to avoid delays:  ‘Making Tax Digital for Income Tax — digitally excluded application’ if applying for a digitally excluded exemption, or ‘Making Tax Digital for Income Tax — exemption application’ if applying for any other exemption.  In recent months HMRC has also iterated the exemptions guidance to provide clarity on the other exemptions and deferrals that are in place for 2026/27.  Based on some of the applications received to date, HMRC has asked us to highlight the following: The guidance states ‘if you have an agent, friend or family member applying for exemption on your behalf, the exemption will still be based on your personal circumstances’. Whilst agents can make the application based on their client’s circumstances, the exemption will only be available for that one client, the agent cannot then apply this exemption to themselves or other clients each of whom must apply for an exemption separately, and The guidance states that HMRC will not accept an application for an exemption if the only reason for applying is one of the following:  you previously filed a paper return, or you are unfamiliar with accountancy software, or you have a small number of digital records to create each tax year, or it will take extra time or cost for you to sign up to and use MTD for Income Tax. The guidance is designed to offer clear and comprehensive detail on exemptions and will continue to  be iterated and updated where necessary.   The Agent Dedicated Line   HMRC’s advisers on the Agent Dedicated Line are available to assist agents with queries on MTD for Income Tax. Agents will now hear the following recorded message:  ‘Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is a new way for sole traders and landlords to report their income and expenses to HMRC. From April 2026, sole traders and landlords must use it if their income from self-employment and property combined is over £50,000. To get started, go to GOV.UK and search MTD for Income Tax Agent Step by Step.’ There will then be an option to press 3 to access HMRC’s dedicated MTD team. Agents can also contact HMRC via agent webchat to discuss an MTD query. If the query is considered too complex to discuss over webchat, the agent will be offered a callback.  On Wednesday 4 March, HMRC also activated a new text message service for agents contacting HMRC by mobile phone. If an agent contacts HMRC via mobile, the system now recognises their number and then provides them with an option to receive a single SMS with a link directing them to the MTD for Income Tax agent toolkit and outreach support service. Software choices design page HMRC will also be launching an updated software choices page in the coming weeks. The page will reflect HMRC’s latest thinking on how to enhance the agent and client journey, whilst improving clarity for users, and ensuring the information presented is consistent and easy to navigate. This will include:    a list of all available software to be viewed, the ability for users to search  for a specific software product and check if it is compatible,  an agent journey, and a randomised list of software. Mandation letters to taxpayers Readers may recall that in November 2025 HMRC began sending MTD for Income Tax taxpayer mandation letters to those who had filed their 2024/25 tax return by 1 August 2025. HMRC is now sending letters based on 2024/25 returns filed after 1 August 2025 to those that it believes will be mandated to use MTD for Income Tax from 6 April 2026. The letters have been sent in batches as follows: Batch 1 contained letters for those who filed their 2024/25 tax return between 1 September 2025 and 30 November 2025; these letters were issued last month, and Batch 2 is expected to begin dispatching from the middle of this month for those who filed their 2024/25 tax return between 1 December 2025 and 31 January 2026. Each batch of letters is being sent over a 2-week period. Like the letters sent in November 2025, each letter will advise the taxpayer that based upon the latest data held by HMRC, they will be required to use MTD for Income Tax from April 2026.