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24m Britons To Receive New Tax Statements From October

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Starting in October this year, about 24 million Britons will be sent new personal tax statements by HMRC. The documents will contain information on the amount of tax paid in 2013/2014 and how the money has contributed to public expenditure.

these could be citizens whose circumstances are complex or fluid, for example people starting a new job

The announcement was made by Chancellor George Osborne, who noted that the number of taxpayers mentioned in Budget 2012 was 20 million. The additional four million are PAYE taxpayers who have recently had contact with HMRC concerning their tax and National Insurance calculations for a previous tax year. As Osborne explained, these could be citizens whose circumstances are complex or fluid, for example people starting a new job.

According to the Chancellor, the new tax statements are another indication that the UK government is committed to simplifying the tax system and enhancing its transparency. This announcement constitutes a major step towards achieving greater tax transparency: people will be given a clear picture of their tax obligations and will be able to understand better how their money contributes to public expenditure, Osborne said.

The 20 million taxpayers cited in the Budget 2012 announcement included the eight million people who file their tax return forms online and they will get their tax statement via the Internet. The figure also included the 16 million PAYE taxpayers sent a tax coding notice by HMRC for 2013 to 2014.

According to data from the Treasury and HMRC, 29.9 million Britons pay income tax. Those who do not receive a tax statement but want to see what they owe and where their money goes can use the free tax calculator app provided by HMRC.