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Penalty Reform for VAT

My right honourable friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Lucy Frazer) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

In Finance Act 2021, the Government legislated to reform penalties for late submission and late payment of tax, initially from 1 April 2022,  and to align interest charges for VAT with other major taxes.

Today, I am announcing that these changes for VAT businesses  will now be introduced 9 months later, on 1 January 2023.

HMRC is committed to becoming one of the most digitally advanced tax authorities in the world. The ambition and pace of change needs to be balanced with  well-tested systems and  good customer service, particularly when businesses are facing additional challenges and uncertainty.

This  extra  time allows HMRC to ensure the IT changes necessary for the new penalties and interest charges can be introduced as effectively as possible,  ensuring a high standard of service to customers.