2020 Tax Commission findings published
You can read the full report at www.2020tax.org. A short summary document is also available which explains the key recommendations. We have also produced a number of videos expanding on the work. Everybody will do better under our proposed new tax system, including pensioners and the self-employed - read Matthew Sinclair's blog for an explanation. The report was highly anticipated thanks to some brilliant opinion pieces such as Fraser Nelson's column in the Daily Telegraph and featured across all major media outlets on the day of release. This is the comprehensive plan for growth that Britain desperately needs in a time of economic stagnation.
The Chairman of the Commission, Allister Heath, debated the proposals on BBC Radio 4's Today while our Director and fellow Commissioner Matthew Sinclair was on BBC 2's Daily Politics to talk about the report’s key recommendation – the Single Income Tax.
The hard work doesn’t stop there though. Now that we have launched the report our focus is on getting the plan implemented. The findings provide a blueprint of how we can simplify our tax system and boost economic growth while leaving all of you with more money in your pockets so you can choose how to spend it. We need your help getting the Commission’s proposals adopted.
Please use the website writetothem.com to urge your MP to read the report and lobby for the proposals' introduction. Yesterday Steve Baker MP called for Parliament (watch here 21 mins in) to debate the proposals. We hope with your help we can add further voices to his call. 
Giving evidence to the Public Accounts Committee
We have long campaigned for online publication by government departments and local authorities of how they spend taxpayers’ cash and with some councils resisting the demands for transparency, Matthew argued in favour of the publication of more, not less, data. He did emphasise, however, that in order for the information to be valuable, such data needed to be consistent and comparable.
You can watch his appearance before the committee by clicking here. Grassroots
On Tuesday, 27 MPs presented petitions to the House of Commons on behalf of residents in 61 constituencies opposing the introduction of 20 per cent VAT on static caravans. An Early Day Motion has been tabled to highlight the issue.
This tax grab is already starting to bite. Willerby Holiday Homes, one of the leading manufacturers in the UK, announced this week it plans to shed 350 jobs, more than half of its workforce. Leading accountancy firm, KPMG, has stated that the caravan tax will result in almost 4,500 job losses and strip almost £1 billion from the national economy.
Although the consultation period has ended, you can still write to the Exchequer Secretary, David Gauke, and let him know your views. Real jobs, real people, and real families will be affected by this tax grab. We need your help to make sure Treasury ministers realise this.
Beverley action day
In the Budget, George Osborne confirmed his intention to increase Fuel Duty by 3p a litre in August. At a time of rising fuel prices and excessive motoring taxes, the last thing we need is the Chancellor making life even more difficult for drivers. He should have cut Fuel Duty, rather than increased it. Despite being set nationally, motoring taxes affect drivers in each local authority area very differently. Our research found that drivers in the East Riding of Yorkshire pay £406.35 per person, per year in excessive motoring taxes.
Activists from the Hull and East Riding Branch will be out on the streets, protesting about this increase next weekend. If you would like to join in, please meet outside Browns Department Store tomorrow, Saturday 26 May, at 11:00 am to help collect signatures for a petition calling on the Government to scrap its proposed rise and to commit to further reductions. If you would like to come along, please get in touch with Andrew Allison. Alternatively, you can register you support on this Facebook page.
What: Beverley Action Day
Where: Outside Browns Department Store, The Corn Exchange, Saturday Market, Beverley. HU17 8BB
When: 11:00 am, Saturday 26 MayBest of the blogs
This week our website has featured a large number of comment pieces about the 2020 Tax Commission, some of which have also been published in national newspapers:
Turn off your iPad, David Cameron, and start dealing with Britain’s debt - Fraser Nelson in the Daily Telegraph
The Tax Reform Britain Needs - Matthew Sinclair for the Wall Street Journal Europe
Don’t ignore the powerful moral arguments against high taxation – Eamonn Butler for City A.M.
Why we should rip up our tax system – John O’Connell writing for Total Politics
Lower spending would deliver stronger economic growth – Matthew Sinclair
Friday, 25 May 2012
It’s finally here! After 18 months of hard work we have published the final 417 page report of the 2020 Tax Commission. The Commission is a joint project with the Institute of Directors (IoD) that aims to introduce radical but realistic reform to our burdensome and failing tax system.
On Wednesday afternoon, our Director, Matthew Sinclair, was invited to give evidence to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the subject of spending transparency in central and local government. This is the first time that a representative of the TaxPayers’ Alliance has been called to appear before this influential committee and is a further sign of how seriously our campaigns are being taken.
Caravan tax update
The Non-job of the week featured the council mistakenly advertising for a media officer paying well over £200,000 a year while Tim Newark wrote about the success of our action day in Cardiff.
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