Lords Committee on the Finance Bill to take evidence from Office of Tax Simplification

The Committee is formed each year to examine the Finance Bill from the point of view of tax administration, clarification and simplification. This year the Committee will in particular focus on the taxation of partnerships and the operation of the Government's new approach to tax policy making since it was introduced in 2010.

In the session with Mr Whiting the Committee will ask him why he feels it would not be appropriate to introduce a separate tax code for partnerships, why partnerships which vary considerably from small family run businesses to large international professional partnerships are treated identically for tax purposes and whether there are areas of partnership law which encourage tax avoidance.

The session will also cover the tax policy making process and whether more should be done to review the impact of changes to tax policy following their introduction.

The evidence session will start at 3.35 pm on Monday 20 January in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords.

The session will be webcast at www.parliamentlive.tv and is also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament's Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.