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Tax reform

ICAEW’s Tax Faculty draws on its members’ expertise to examine hot topics in tax and provide practical solutions to challenges faced by policymakers and regulators. This is underpinned by the faculty’s Ten Tenets for a Better Tax System that set out the characteristics against which it evaluates tax systems and tax policies.

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Thought leadership

How to build a better tax system

The Tax Faculty is looking what is needed to deliver a better tax system in the UK. Thought leadership on five key areas will be published in 2026.
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Updated for 2026

The revised Ten Tenets

ICAEW's Ten Tenets for a Better Tax System outline the key characteristics against which tax systems and tax policies can be evaluated.
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Latest on tax reform

Government must do more to address tax uncertainty
  • Article
  • 09 Jun 2026
In its response to the government’s consultation on expanding the uncertain tax treatment (UTT) regime, ICAEW has called on the government to consider what it can do to address complexity and help taxpayers to meet their obligations.
Consider treating stablecoins as money for tax purposes, says ICAEW
  • Article
  • 02 Jun 2026
ICAEW has expressed broad support for taxing returns on stablecoins as interest, and not as capital gains, in its response to the government’s call for evidence on the possible introduction of a new stablecoin tax regime.
More time needed to standardise company tax returns, says ICAEW
  • Article
  • 02 Jun 2026
ICAEW has made a number of recommendations in its response to HMRC’s consultation on modernising and standardising company tax returns, including extending the pilot phase to allow agents and companies more time to prepare.
Government should act sooner on low-value imports, says ICAEW
  • Article
  • 09 Mar 2026
Responding to the consultation on removing customs duty relief for low-value imports (LVI), ICAEW has warned that the proposed implementation date of March 2029 is too late to protect UK retailers and fully compliant overseas sellers effectively.
Visitor levy should be consistent across England, says ICAEW
  • Article
  • 18 Feb 2026
Responding to the government’s consultation on a visitor levy, ICAEW has called for a national model scheme that will ensure consistency while giving mayors in England flexibility to address local circumstances and needs.
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism begins to take shape
  • Article
  • 12 Feb 2026
The government has published draft regulations for technical consultation setting out how the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will work when it is introduced from 1 January 2027.
How will the new duty on electric cars work?
  • Article
  • 20 Jan 2026
From April 2028, drivers of electric and plug-in hybrid cars will pay a new levy. ICAEW’s Tax Faculty explains how it is expected to work and asks for your help in responding to the government’s consultation on the design of the levy.
ICAEW has major concerns about draft Finance Bill legislation
  • Article
  • 17 Sep 2025
ICAEW has raised issues on a range of measures, including mandatory agent registration and inheritance tax reform, in its responses to the government’s technical consultation on draft legislation for the Finance Bill 2025/26.
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Building a better tax system

The Tax Faculty has launched a major new programme of work looking at what the UK tax system should look like.
Principles, pillars, and priorities
  • Thought leadership report
  • 07 Apr 2026
In the UK, where economic resilience, fairness, and long-term investment are critical to national priorities, the strength of the tax system has never mattered more.
Transforming UK tax administration
  • Thought leadership report
  • 29 May 2026
In the second paper on building a better tax system, ICAEW sets out why HMRC’s current transformation programme risks failure and what needs to change for it to succeed.
Exclusive ICAEW’s ten tenets: why we are changing them
  • Article
  • 07 Apr 2026
ICAEW has published revised tenets for a better tax system – the first update in 26 years – to sit alongside a new framework of institutional pillars. Ed Saltmarsh walks through what has changed, what has stayed the same, and why the revisions matter.
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Tax representations

ICAEW REP 037/26 Opportunities to Extend the Notification of Uncertain Tax Treatment (UTT) Regime
  • Representation
  • 04 Jun 2026
  • PDF (468kb)
A representation dated 4 June 2026 to a consultation published by HMRC on 12 March 2026.
ICAEW REP 027/26 Draft regulations: Carbon Border Adjustment
  • Representation
  • 21 May 2026
  • PDF (165kb)
A representation dated 21 May 2026 to a consultation published by HMRC on 9 April 2026.
ICAEW REP 033/26 Taxation of Stablecoins
  • Representation
  • 06 May 2026
  • PDF (279kb)
A representation dated 6 May 2026 to a consultation published by HMRC on 26 March 2026.
ICAEW REP 029/26 Audit Scotland Code of Audit Practice
  • Representation
  • 27 Mar 2026
  • PDF (226kb)
A representation dated 27 March 2026 to a consultation published by Audit Scotland on 23 February 2026.
ICAEW REP 023/26 Reforming the Customs Treatment of Low Value Imports into the United Kingdom
  • Representation
  • 26 Mar 2026
  • PDF (333kb)
A representation dated 6 March 2026 to a consultation published by HM Treasury on 9 January 2026.
ICAEW REP 031/26 Finance Bill 2025-26 Clauses 37 & 38 Anti Avoidance: Company Reconstructions
  • Representation
  • 25 Mar 2026
  • PDF (184kb)
A briefing for MPs on the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2025-26 dated 25 March 2026.
ICAEW REP 026/26 Draft regulations: Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
  • Representation
  • 24 Mar 2026
  • PDF (169kb)
A representation dated 24 March 2026 to a consultation published by HMRC on 10 February 2026.
ICAEW REP 024/26 Introduction of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED)
  • Representation
  • 18 Mar 2026
  • PDF (311kb)
A representation dated 18 March 2026 to a consultation published by HM Treasury on 20 January 2026.
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Watch a Tax Faculty webinar

Webinars and videos have been designed by the Tax Faculty to provide practical guidance to practitioners on important developments to tax practice and policy.

You can register for Tax Faculty webinars by visiting our events page.
Register now
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