Voluntary sector to receive funding for tax advice
HMRC has pledged £2m a year for voluntary organisations to help vulnerable people understand their taxes
TEN VOLUNTARY GROUPS will be given £2m a year to support people who need help with their taxes, HM Revenue & Customs has announced.
HMRC will give 17 grants to ten voluntary and community sector organisations. Part of the funding will go towards new ways of providing support such as a project that will pilot video link-ups from a number of locations throughout England to the specialist advisers from the charity TaxAid. The funding will also go towards training advisors in the sector.
Stephen Banyard, acting director general for personal tax, said: “The money goes to provide independent, trustworthy support for vulnerable people and those on low incomes, to help sort out their entitlements and tax problems.
“The organisations we are funding provide support to people who may not normally come to HMRC for help and advice but who may need a helping hand understanding what benefits and credits they are entitled to claim and how the tax system affects them. For example, some of the funding will go to organisations such as Citizens Advice and Tax Help for Older People, who can help those who have worries about their finances and taxes.”
