Representative Body Steering Group
The Representative Body Steering Group is an important forum that engages with professional bodies, intermediaries, software developers and senior HMRC managers. It helps advise on strategic decisions about HMRC’s performance, including customer service, its digital strategy, and the impact of these on agents.
Members
Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
Association of Tax Technicians (ATT)
British Computer Society (BCS)
Business Application Software Developers’ Association (BASDA)
Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI)
Chartered Institute Of Taxation (CIOT)
Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW)
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)
Lower Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG)
Introduction
This group evolved following a review of the Joint Initiative Steering Group which had been operating since 2015 to deliver agent strategy.
RBSG was created in response to feedback from members and the HMRC Charter and public commitment to consult with customers on all major policy and operational issues, and to put the customer at the heart of everything it does.
Governance and structure
RBSG is chaired by the Director General for Customer Strategy and Tax Design.
The chair identifies business needs for discussion, which could also include issues identified by directors in their discussions with customers.
The members jointly agree a work plan and develop working groups that aim to engage early, work collaboratively and report progress against timelines for delivery.
Working groups in place:
- Agents Digital Design Advisory Group
- Additional Needs Working Group
- Issues Overview Group
When required, other forums may provide advice on specific topics.
Terms of reference
1. Purpose
1.1. HMRC has a public commitment to consult with customers on all major policy and operational issues and put them at the heart of everything it does. A core element of HMRC’s Charter is to improve customer experience.
1.2. Software developers, professional and representative bodies play a vital role in the UK tax system, and professional bodies and their members act on behalf of a significant number of taxpayers, including those with complex affairs. HMRC is therefore seeking to continually improve engagement opportunities.
1.3. The Representative Body Steering Group (RBSG) will foster a strong relationship through working in collaboration and by utilising expertise and contacts. Members will contribute to discussion, and provide insight and influence in the design of HMRC policy, operations and initiatives. All members will share the joint aim of improving the effectiveness of the tax system.
1.4. RBSG will sit alongside existing links between HMRC, its customers and representative bodies at a working level. Regularly planned or bespoke forums, including business-led forums, will provide direct channels between the operational and policy arms of HMRC, and will offer a mechanism for members to debate issues in an atmosphere of mutual trust to:
- engage in, challenge and support the overall strategy for agents
- provide a senior escalation route
- horizon-scan issues that will affect agents and software providers and agree a collective view on which forum should manage the topics raised and monitor actions
- deliver a jointly agreed work programme, identifying priorities, developing timelines and monitoring progress
1.5. Members will recommend colleagues to provide specialist expertise when required at ad hoc bespoke meetings.
2. Framework
2.1. Members will include one per representative body at a senior level. Attendance of deputies will be agreed with the secretariat in advance of meetings.
2.2. Members can choose to bring another representative, should they wish, to provide a mix of representation to add value to discussions and ensure continuity of the membership - ie volunteer expert and member. Should more than one member attend, members need to speak with ‘one voice’ to ensure effective meetings.
2.3. HMRC attendees will be determined by the meeting agenda. Other parties may be invited to attend or dial into meetings on an ‘as needed’ basis including, but not restricted to, the Treasury and other HMRC directors, and business representatives. It will be made clear at the beginning of the meeting which non-HMRC parties are in attendance.
2.4. Bi-monthly hybrid meetings will be scheduled 6 months in advance with a standard agenda, and other topics regularly invited. Members are encouraged to suggest agenda items between meetings as they arise (these items may require a bespoke meeting to be convened).
2.5. Bespoke ad hoc meetings will be arranged when requested by HMRC or RBSG members. These will be held over MS Teams. A report from bespoke meetings will be presented at the quarterly meeting of RBSG.
2.6. RBSG discussions will be informed by HMRC’s other lines of engagement with representative bodies.
- Issues raised via the Agent Online Forum will be progressed through the Issues Overview Group, with jointly agreed exceptions being reported at the next RBSG meeting.
- Key points of discussion from the Agent Digital Design Advisory Group (ADDAG) will be reported to RBSG by shared members.
2.7. Members will, at their discretion, arrange for relevant updates from HMRC to be circulated throughout their organisation.
2.8. Secretariat support for the RBSG will be provided by HMRC with the secretariat as the initial point of contact through the Customer Engagement Mailbox.
3. Joint standards
3.1. Final agendas and related papers will be sent 5 working days in advance of meetings.
3.2. The agenda will document the confidentiality level of the papers (representative bodies may be granted permission to share confidential papers with a small group of colleagues and / or volunteers to seek their views), provided they too adhere to the confidentiality requirements outlined.
3.3. Actions will be agreed at the end of each meeting and minutes will be circulated for approval within 10 working days of the meeting. A high-level summary of the topics discussed will be published on GOV.UK.
3.4. HMRC performance will be discussed at the RBSG with attendance from senior Customer Service Group representatives.
3.5. The RBSG will jointly agree work plans required and develop the working groups. The group will seek to engage early, work collaboratively, and regularly report progress from working groups against timeline for delivery. Members can raise issues where progress is not going according to plan. A short summary can be provided to the meeting with a maximum of 10 mins for responses. Items requiring further discussion can be added to the agenda for the next meeting, or a bespoke meeting convened if necessary.
4. Review
4.1. After each meeting carry out a ‘light touch’ evaluation.
4.2. These Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually in March.
5. Ministerial approval
5.1. Notwithstanding the above, actions falling to HMRC may be subject to ministerial or HMRC Executive Committee approval.
Meeting summaries
You can find previous years’ summaries and minutes on The National Archives website: