Well, it would appear that we are “A country that lives within its means” and, “our hard work is paying off” our government has “stuck to its guns” – our reward for all our hard work it would appear – is potentially more hard work!
More hard work in the form of us being central to the successful delivery of a new apprenticeship scheme where the employer is to pay more towards the training and development of its apprentices whilst seeing reduced funding being delivered via an HMRC led system? At a time when we have yet to see out a “year of transition” from one HMRC led system to another – in one piece – this must put even the most experienced employer of apprentices on alert. The Chancellor believes that the best way in which government can help business is by lowering the burden of tax – and who could disagree with such a laudable goal – but we have to ask at what cost? Reducing the direct cost to business in taxes – and it would appear the Employer National Insurance contributions now fall in to that category for our Chancellor – and replacing it with higher and yet almost invisible costs of administering that tax system for the employer and for business, surely cannot be the best for business, albeit the impact it will have on increasing job numbers is to be welcomed. A transferrable tax allowance for married couples and civil partners will indeed tick a box for many individuals but only if that transferrable amount can be effectively and efficiently communicated and administered – and how will that happen – oh yes, by that same HMRC led system that is currently experiencing a year of transition.
All encouraging news for the payroll profession – whatever business area we work in within our industry we can be certain of job security for some years to come – but for businesses and for our employers well, that is as yet another story. As ever the “devil is in the detail” and as the Annual Statement 2013 runs to a mere 122 pages – you can expect us to be providing you with more detail in the coming days but in the meantime the CIPP policy team have put together the following highlights for your delectation and delight!
Bad news buried in a one liner – Apprenticeships
We have said it before and we will say it again, why is it that government buries potentially bad news for payroll through a one liner? The Chancellor said and we quote “To build on this success, the government will reform apprenticeship funding to ensure that employers are at the heart of the system and it delivers skills that meet the demands of UK businesses. The government will put business at the centre of the apprenticeship system by enabling employers to receive funding for the training costs of apprentices directly through an HMRC-led system and ensuring that employers contribute. This change will raise apprenticeship standards and ensure they align with the needs of business.”
