Accountants and software developers have raised concerns about the testing of the UK’s new digital tax system due for rollout to millions of self-employed in 2024, after HM Revenue & Customs revealed it had just nine people taking part in the pilot.
The UK tax authority confirmed the figure to the Financial Times after a Freedom of Information request by the accountants Saffery Champness showed a sharp decline in the uptake of volunteers to test the new software since the trial began three years ago.
The numbers signing up fell from a peak of 900 people in 2018-19, the first year of the pilot, to just the nine who are currently participating, according to HMRC.