Tax office job cuts are “likely” to lead to delays administering tax issues, especially for small business, warned the Forum for Private Business (FPB).

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is cutting the number of tax offices in the UK and shedding more than 3,000 jobs.
 
The FPB believes that the job cuts and the closure of many of the UK’s tax offices will only add to the confusion and frustration felt by many entrepreneurs when they are filling out their tax forms. A reduction in staff could mean a corresponding reduction in services, which can only increase business owners’ anxiety levels.

"While we can all applaud the cost-cutting exercise, HMRC will need to be careful that the reduction of staff, in particular, does not affect the service offered to smaller businesses," said the FPB’s policy representative, Matt Goodman. "The demands of running a small business are enough without waiting weeks for your tax papers to make it to the top of the pile."