This week’s miscellaneous updates – 15 June 2026

In addition to the above, readers should also note the following:  

• The latest HMRC Stakeholder Digest is available, 

• HMRC has published an updated list of its various stakeholder forums, many of which we participate in on behalf of members, 

• The Federation of Small Businesses is calling for the employment allowance to rise at the Autumn Budget and for the trading allowance to be tripled to help young entrepreneurs, 

• Last month HMRC’s new targeted advance assurance scheme for SME’s making their first research and development tax relief claim open for support. Guidance on the process has also been published, 

• HMRC has published the advisory fuel rates which took effect from 1 June 2026 for employees using a company car, 

• The House of Commons Library has published a research briefing on the Budget 2025 announcements on the higher income tax rates for property, savings and dividend income, and 

• Tax Policy Associates has published a chart and article on the 90 taxes in the UK. 

HMRC VAT Assist team seeks volunteers 

HMRC’s VAT Assist team is seeking volunteers to help develop their new service. As part of ongoing development work, the project team is looking to test the latest designs with the people who will be using the service when it goes live. This helps HMRC make sure it is building the service in the right way ahead of official launch and provides end users with an opportunity to have their voice heard.  

 What is VAT Assist? 

VAT Assist will allow users of 3rd party VAT software to get tailored feedback on their draft VAT return within their software. The feedback will be based on the wealth of data HMRC holds and complex analytics.  

 Who the project team would like to speak to 

They’d like to speak to people who are responsible for submitting VAT returns on behalf of a micro or small business. This includes:  

• Business owners or their employees, and 

• Agents such as accountants, bookkeepers, or tax advisors. 

They’re especially interested in engaging with people who do not have a lot of experience completing their VAT return or don’t feel very confident about VAT. 

The project team is looking for around 30-40 volunteers for this round of research. However, more research is planned for later in the year. 

What does this involve? 

The project team will be inviting people to take part in online research sessions. The findings from these sessions will be shared with the project team to inform development of the live service. Research will be conducted from mid-June to the end of August. 

Data protection and anonymity 

Researchers only collect the data they need to organise and run research sessions. Any personal data they do collect will be saved in a secure SharePoint drive and is only used for research purposes. Any quotes used from research participants in the reports will be anonymised. 

How to sign up for research 

Volunteers can sign up to research here.