AAT public affairs and public policy activities: October 2019

Every month AAT highlights some of the key Public Affairs & Public Policy activities undertaken on behalf of our 140,000 members.

Below you will find some key highlights for October 2019. 

If you would like any further information about any of these issues, please contact Phil Hall, AAT Head of Public Affairs & Public Policy via twitter or via email.  

AAT continues to protect and promote the interests of our 140,000 members through engagement with policymakers and various stakeholders in a wide variety of ways.

AAT backs new Chair of Treasury Select Committee

Former HM Treasury Minister, Mel Stride MP, was elected as the new chair of the influential Treasury Select Committee. He was elected by 263 votes compared to 146 for his nearest rival.

AAT has worked with Mel before and looks forward to doing so again in his new capacity.

Conservative Party Conference 2019

AAT’s Mark Farrar and Phil Hall attended the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester last month. Between them, they participated in over 20 fringe events on a diverse range of topics relating to issues such as tax, accountancy, responsible business, further education and more.

Entrepreneur’s Relief

Ahead of the Budget planned for 6 November 2019 but now scrapped thanks to Brexit, AAT highlighted its belief that Entrepreneur’s Relief (ER) be scrapped and that the £3bn saved be invested in start-up and scale-up businesses instead.

AAT’s views on ER were covered in The Times online on 21 and 22 October and in the hard copy newspaper (22 October), the accountancy press, tax publications, and business media as well as over 170 UK accountancy firms web sites and related specialist sites like PayrollPlus.

Questions referencing AAT’s position have also been asked of the Chancellor in Parliament.

Business Rates - Scotland

On 3 October, the Scottish Local Government and Communities Committee published its report on non-domestic rate reform and referenced the views of AAT on 7 separate occasions.

You can read the report in full here.

Business Rates – England

The Treasury Select Committee yesterday published its long awaited report into Business Rates reform, referencing AAT views on a couple of issues and drawing very similar conclusions to our own i.e. that each of the alternatives offer problems as well as solutions and that broad consensus is therefore needed to deliver effective change. 

AAT’s involvement was also highlighted in accountancy, regional and business publications.

First Time Buyers Relief

First Time Buyers Relief (FTBR) means that first time buyers don’t have to pay any Stamp Duty when purchasing their first property, providing it costs less than £300,000.

AAT notes it has helped tens of thousands of buyers, but it is doing so in an expensive, inefficient and patchy manner.

This view was widely publicised in almost 40 local newspapers and on local radio from Burnley to Basingstoke and Bradford to Bracknell.

An example from the Andover Advertiser can be found here.

AAT consultations calls for evidence & inquiry responses

No new consultation responses were submitted in October but AAT’s submissions on a diverse range of topics are available here.

Parliamentary engagement

AAT engaged with almost 30 MPs and Peers from the Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat parties in October.

Other events, meetings and engagement

• Together with AAT’s Paul James, met with Big Society Capital to discuss jointly promoting the advantages of Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR) to AAT members
• Attended an Institute for Government event on Tax Reform
• Attended a meeting of the Aldersgate Group to discuss the use of TCFDs to manage climate risk and the next steps for UK government, investors and businesses  
• Participated in CBI Business Rates Working Group meeting
• Discussed the AAT ISA simplification report with Sacha Romanovitch, new CEO of Fair4All Finance
• Attended All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Apprenticeships
• Together with AAT’s Mark Farrar, represented AAT at the Mayor of London’s Digital Skills Reception with Google, BT and City & Guilds - the City of London has a £7m scheme to make sure young Londoners have the digital skills employers want
• Contributed to the CBI Government Affairs Network
• Participated in Q&A with Antoinette Sandbach MP at the Old Bailey
• Took part in the final APPG on Inheritance Tax
• Presented AAT’s three Prompt Payment recommendations to a cross-party House of Lords meeting on late payments
• Contributed to an oral evidence session on VAT fraud for the APPG on Business Support & Engagement.