In keeping with the touchy, feely image projected by the present Government, Customs and Excise is presently seeking the views of businesses on how best to help them to get it right.

Over the last few years the VAT department has offered newly registered businesses a range of options to help them deal with VAT. These have ranged from free videos and leaflets to seminars and one-to-one consultations. The latter may have proved a little difficult for locally based traders for whom the nearest VAT enquiry office is 100 miles away in Newcastle.

Now the department is asking for feedback from the trading public on the services that it provides. Customs and Excise would like to hear from businesses on topics such as:

Is information to complete VAT returns readily available?

What do you think of the instructional videos?

Are the seminars useful or is the one-to-one approach better?

Would you prefer to obtain information using new technology?

The department has promised to evaluate all comment and feedback with a view to improving its services to the public. Replies are requested by the end of February.

Laudable although this is, there is no substitute to obtaining independent advice, tailored to the individual needs of the business and taking into account the interaction of VAT with other taxes. Above all, it is essential to plan for the commercial needs and aims of the business.

Whether this service is best provided by a Revenue collecting department or by a qualified, independent professional is something business owners will decided for themselves.

Terry Parkinson, VAT Partner, BKR Haines Watts Chartered Accountants.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.