For those considering how to incorporate tax into their CPD plan for the next 12 months, ICAEW’s Tax Faculty offers a range of verifiable content from news updates and in-depth TAXline articles; to detailed guidance in TAXguides; webinars; and The Tax Track Podcast. 

ICAEW members can join the Tax Faculty for no additional cost and have unrestricted access to these materials. 

Budget analysis 

For those wanting to get to grips with Rachel Reeve’s historic Budget, the Tax Faculty has covered the measures you many have missed, as well as the changes to: 

• employers’ national insurance contributions;
• capital gains tax and stamp duty land tax;
• inheritance tax; and
• indirect taxes, such as VAT, duties and the carbon border adjustment. 

You can hear the team discuss the announcements and their implications in more depth, in their Budget update webinar, which you can watch on demand. 

VAT and how to fix it 

Fifty years on from the introduction of VAT, taxpayers continue to struggle with the complicated tax. ICAEW is exploring the challenges and opportunities offered in reimagining VAT and its application. 

You can listen to the latest Tax Track podcast which explains the issues involved, and read articles on the history of VAT, the lessons that can be learned from previous simplification efforts and the option of a progressive VAT. More articles will be published throughout December, to see the latest visit: icaew.com/howtofixVAT.  

MTD ITSA 

With the next phase of MTD implementation on the horizon the Tax Faculty is working to support members in their planning and preparation. 

You’ll find all the key information on icaew.com/mtd including the latest news items on: the reaffirmation of the April 2026 deadline; which software firms have been approved so far; and how budget announcements on tax administration will impact the scheme. 

There’s also a podcast outlining what tax agents should be doing now to prepare for the implementation of MTD. 

Meanwhile, noted tax expert Rebecca Benneyworth is contributing a series of articles to the institute’s practice news offering her practical insights. The first two articles have covered reviewing client’s needs and managing workflows. 

Hot topics in tax 

In case you missed it, the most popular Tax Faculty content in recent month months has included: 

• a TAXline article looking at a recent case where a software company was successful in challenging HMRC’s decision to reject its claim for research and development (R&D) tax relief;
• TAXguide 02/22: Basis period reform which has been updated to include recent developments and include answers to questions raised by participants on a recent webinar; and
• webinars covering international trade and R&D tax relief. Recordings of the webinars are available to watch on demand. 

Bloomsbury ebooks 

Eligible ICAEW member firms also have free access to Bloomsbury Professional’s comprehensive online library, which comprises of around 80 titles from some of the country’s leading tax and accounting experts.  

The service provides integrated and up-to-date legislation, HMRC manuals, case summaries and current awareness to support firms in advising clients. ICAEW’s recent changes to its AddCPD tool now means that reading these books can contribute to members’ verifiable CPD hours. 

If you have feedback on ICAEW’s tax content, or suggestions for areas you would like to see covered in future articles, TAXguides or webinars, please contact Stephen Relf.