Consultation on reduction and consolidation of HMRC statistics publications
Read the full outcome
Detail of outcome
Background
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) releases over 70 official statistics publications each year covering a wide range of tax-related topics. Some of the publications are released several times a year.
In 2020, the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) published a report, , in which it recommended that HMRC takes action to improve the quality of its official statistics. The OSR recommended that 鈥榌HMRC] should review its current publications, with a view to reducing the number or size of publications, to ensure analytical resource is being used effectively鈥�.
HMRC reviewed its suite of statistics publications and identified reductions that could be made, involving 25 publications. This involved stopping the production and publication of some statistical releases, and changing the scope of others. In accordance with the , HMRC published a public consultation on the proposed changes on 8 February 2021. The consultation closed on 12 March 2021. HMRC actively approached known users of its statistics to encourage responses, to ensure a wide range of views were received, for example it
- contacted registered users of our statistics series
- contacted heads of profession for statistics in key other government departments
- promoted the consultation in HMRC鈥檚 stakeholders鈥� digest and MPs鈥� digest
- promoted the consultation internally within HMRC
HMRC is grateful for the engagement of stakeholders in this consultation. We received nearly 30 responses to the consultation from a range of statistics users. HMRC has taken account of responses from statistics users and made a number of changes to its plans. Overall, this means that HMRC will not reduce its statistical publications as much as proposed in the consultation document.
Feedback summary and HMRC鈥檚 consultation response
HMRC received responses from a number of government departments, a non-departmental government body, devolved administrations, academic bodies, thinktanks, tax representative bodies, lobby groups and local government.
HMRC has adapted its plans in the light of comments. The key areas of feedback are set out for each topic area together with the changes to be made to each publication in the consultation.
HMRC also received suggestions for expanding existing series (e.g. coronavirus support scheme statistics) and these comments will be considered as part of ongoing statistics development activity for those series.
As set out in this response, HMRC will continue to engage with users on plans for development of individual statistics publications.
Detailed feedback and HMRC鈥檚 responses can be found in the attachment.
Summary of changes
The following table summarises plans for all the publications for which changes were proposed.
| 笔耻产濒颈肠补迟颈辞苍听 | Changes to be听made听 | 罢颈尘颈苍驳听听 |
|---|---|---|
| Personal wealth statistics听 | We will discontinue this听publication听听 | 2021听 |
| Income Tax receipts听 | We will discontinue this听publication听 | 2021听 |
| Tax structure and parameter statistics鈥� | We will continue to publish these statistics, incorporated into the听Income Tax liabilities statistics听publication听 | 2022 onwards听 |
| The鈥痵eparate commentary document鈥痶hat accompanies the鈥痯ersonal incomes statistics (regional analysis)听 | We will discontinue this publication鈥�(tables 3.12-3.15 will鈥痗ontinue to be published)鈥� | 2021听 |
| Income Tax liabilities statistics鈥痯ublication (removing forecasts)听 | No changes 鈥� we will continue to publish听forecasts听 | 听 |
| Child and Working Tax Credits statistics: small area data鈥� | We have provisional plans to reduce coverage and meet user needs through provision of a听datafile听 | 2021听 |
| Child and Working Tax Credits statistics: supplement on payments.听 | We will no longer produce the geographical supplementary tables but will听continue to publish the main听tables听 | 2021 onwards听 |
| Child and Working Tax Credits awards statistics (provisional awards听and听final awards)听 | We will听jointly publish听the two听publications听 | 2022 onwards听 |
| Child and Working Tax Credits error and fraud statistics听听 | We will merge the provisional and finalised awards publications into听one听 | 2021 onwards听 |
| VAT statistics听 | We will discontinue this听publication听 | The final publication听will be听in听July听2021听 |
| Flexible payments from pensions,听annual pension contributions by contribution type听and听personal and stakeholder pension statistics听 | We will merge these publications into one consolidated pensions听statistics听publication听 | 2021听 |
| Qualifying Registered Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS) statistics听 | We will discontinue this听publication听 | 2021听 |
| Individual Savings Account (ISA)鈥痵tatistics听and鈥疕elp to Save statistics听 | We will merge these publications into one consolidated savings听statistics听publication听 | May 2021听 |
| Aggregates Levy,听Landfill Tax听and听Climate Change Levy and Carbon Price Floor听 | We will merge these publications into one consolidated environmental听statistics听publication听 | June 2021听 |
| Air Passenger Duty statistics听 | We will reduce frequency of publication from biannual to听annual听 | 2022 onwards听 |
| Hydrocarbon oils statistics听 | No changes 鈥� we will continue to publish these statistics on a quarterly听basis听 | 听 |
| Benefits in Kind statistics听 | We will explore provision of aggregate level Benefits in Kind statistics and a breakdown of car benefit听statistics听 | 2022听 |
| Charity Tax Relief statistics听 | We will reduce the number of years included in the听publication听 | 2021 onwards听 |
| Government revenues from UK oil and gas production听听 | We will cease publication of the detailed Petroleum Revenue Tax听statistics听 | 2021 onwards听 |
Original consultation
Consultation description
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) needs to prioritise the resource we spend on statistical publications.
This consultation document explains our thoughts on how we can balance the growth in recent priority productions such as Real Time Information and COVID-19 statistics with our limited resources.
We need to understand how you use these statistics so that we can prioritise products which are important to our users. We look forward to receiving your comments.
Documents
Updates to this page
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Added consultation outcome
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Added paragraph about 'Charity Tax Relief Statistics' to Section 2.4.
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First published.