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ICAEW tax reform

How to build a better tax system

The UK tax system is failing, weighed down by decades of accumulated complexity. ICAEW has identified five pillars critical to creating a system fit for the future.

The pillars Latest developments

Why the tax system needs rebuilding

It’s time to rebuild the UK’s tax system
The tax system is creaking under the weight of decades of accumulated complexity. Ed Saltmarsh, Indirect Tax Technical Manager, explains how ICAEW is focusing its work on rebuilding the tax system to make it fit for purpose.
professional looking at her papers
The UK's failing tax system needs rebuilding, says ICAEW
  • Article
The UK tax system is creaking under the weight of decades of accumulated complexity. ICAEW is working to diagnose what is wrong and set out what good looks like.
Women in yellow top doing accounts
Principles, pillars, and priorities
  • Thought leadership report
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.
Empty office
The Ten Tenets: revised for 2026
  • Thought leadership report
ICAEW's Ten Tenets for a Better Tax System outline the key characteristics against which tax systems and tax policies can be evaluated. The Tax Faculty has updated the tenets to reflect the modern tax system.

Latest developments

Exclusive Pillar: Administration

Why HMRC must change to succeed

  • Article
  • 01 Jun 2026
  • ICAEW
Ed Saltmarsh highlights the key points from ICAEW’s latest paper on building a better tax system, setting out why HMRC’s current transformation programme risks failure and what needs to change for it to succeed.
Read more
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Pillar: Administration

Transforming UK tax administration

  • Thought leadership report
  • 29 May 2026
  • Tax Faculty
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.
Read more
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The pillars

Find out more about the five institutional pillars that ICAEW believes are needed to ensure the proper functioning of the UK tax system. Read in-depth papers, TAXline articles or watch explainer videos.

We want to hear from you!

Expertise has been really invaluable in helping us to work out what needs to be fixed. We really want to hear from members about what the problems are, but more importantly what the solutions are. This is a collaborative project. We want to hear from everyone about how the tax system should work for them.

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