In this episode, we have a report by Mark Rowland from the ’20 Years of HMRC’ event held on 11 March at Chartered Accountants’ Hall, in which he speaks to James Murray, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, and Lord O’Donnell, former Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, among others, about the future of digitisation and HMRC.

Tax changes announced at the budget are coming into effect in April and one of the biggest concerns is the revisions to employers’ national insurance contributions and thresholds, as well as to NI employment allowances. Also changing is the way that double cab pick-ups are treated for tax purposes. 

Auditing of SMEs has come under FRC’s spotlight recently, and it has launched a market study to determine what is working and what it not under the current regulation, including the complexity and cost of auditing standards.

Philippa Lamb explores the latter two subjects with Stephen Relf, Technical Manager, Tax, ICAEW, and Catherine Hardinge, Partner, Technical, Price Bailey LLP.

Links 

• The future of a tax administration authority: https://www.icaew.com/insights/tax-news/2025/mar-2025/the-future-of-a-tax-administration-authority
• Ten tax changes taking effect from April 2025: https://www.icaew.com/technical/tax/tax-faculty/taxline/articles/2025/ten-tax-changes-taking-effect-from-april-2025 
• Don’t forget April tax changes for double cab pick-ups, says ICAEW: https://www.icaew.com/insights/tax-news/2025/feb-2025/dont-forget-april-tax-changes-for-double-cab-pick-ups-says-icaew
• Is the FRC doing enough to support small audits?: https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2025/feb-2025/is-the-frc-doing-enough-to-support-small-audits

Host

Philippa Lamb

Guests

• Stephen Relf, Technical Manager, Tax, ICAEW
• Catherine Hardinge, Partner, Technical, Price Bailey LLP
• James Murray, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and chair of HMRC board
• Lord O’Donnell, former Permanent Secretary to the Treasury
• Heather Self, Consultant, Blick Rothenberg
• Paul Aplin, Vice-President, Chartered Institute of Taxation
• David Gauke, former Treasury minister
• Amanda Tickel, Head of Tax and Trade Policy, Deloitte

Producer

Natalie Chisholm  

Episode first published: 17 March 2025
Podcast recorded: 6 March 2025