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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Tory pledge tax 'early warnings' | Tory pledge tax 'early warnings' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Major tax changes should be unveiled six months before the Budget and be more heavily scrutinised, the Conservatives say in a report. | Major tax changes should be unveiled six months before the Budget and be more heavily scrutinised, the Conservatives say in a report. |
| Ideas to simplify the system and end "stealth taxes" have been drawn up by ex-chancellor Lord Howe. | Ideas to simplify the system and end "stealth taxes" have been drawn up by ex-chancellor Lord Howe. |
| The proposals are not official party policy, but shadow chancellor George Osborne is expected to back them later. | The proposals are not official party policy, but shadow chancellor George Osborne is expected to back them later. |
| Lord Howe told the BBC the delay would avoid problems such as those created by the "10% tax rate debacle". | Lord Howe told the BBC the delay would avoid problems such as those created by the "10% tax rate debacle". |
| The 10p tax rate was abolished by Gordon Brown last year in his final Budget as chancellor, in an unexpected announcement at the end of his speech. | The 10p tax rate was abolished by Gordon Brown last year in his final Budget as chancellor, in an unexpected announcement at the end of his speech. |
| At the same time, he unveiled a cut in the basic rate of income tax from 22p to 20p. | At the same time, he unveiled a cut in the basic rate of income tax from 22p to 20p. |
| 'A mess' | 'A mess' |
| But the move backfired when it came into effect as millions of low paid workers were left out of pocket, sparking a backbench Labour rebellion and a government U-turn. | But the move backfired when it came into effect as millions of low paid workers were left out of pocket, sparking a backbench Labour rebellion and a government U-turn. |
| Last week a report on the abolition of the 10p rate - and the £2.7bn package brought in to compensate many of those who lost out - raised doubts about the "perceived benefit of seeming to pull rabbits from the hat" at Budget time. | Last week a report on the abolition of the 10p rate - and the £2.7bn package brought in to compensate many of those who lost out - raised doubts about the "perceived benefit of seeming to pull rabbits from the hat" at Budget time. |
| FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME Cameron's Britain: Tax and spend | |
| Lord Howe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: " A lot of changes being introduced at the last minute with short notice and then turning out to be a mess." | Lord Howe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: " A lot of changes being introduced at the last minute with short notice and then turning out to be a mess." |
| He added: "What we are proposing is that any significant tax change that is proposed should be produced in a form that Parliament can examine at the time of the pre-Budget report, that's six months before the Finance Bill actually reaches the House." | He added: "What we are proposing is that any significant tax change that is proposed should be produced in a form that Parliament can examine at the time of the pre-Budget report, that's six months before the Finance Bill actually reaches the House." |
| His report calls for a cross-party committee of MPs and peers to be set up specifically to examine tax policy, which he said was currently "under-scrutinised". | His report calls for a cross-party committee of MPs and peers to be set up specifically to examine tax policy, which he said was currently "under-scrutinised". |
| Small print | Small print |
| It would also examine proposals from a new Office of Tax Simplification, charged with coming up with ways of simplifying the whole system. | |
| Lord Howe said tax had become much more complicated under Labour and he said the Tories would end "stealth taxes" - an example of which, he said, was Mr Brown's "raid on pension funds" in the 1990s. | Lord Howe said tax had become much more complicated under Labour and he said the Tories would end "stealth taxes" - an example of which, he said, was Mr Brown's "raid on pension funds" in the 1990s. |
| "We simply cannot go on multiplying the tax law on our statute book, we have got to begin clearing the undergrowth," he said. | "We simply cannot go on multiplying the tax law on our statute book, we have got to begin clearing the undergrowth," he said. |
| Shadow chancellor George Osborne said the Tories would make taxes "simpler and more transparent". | Shadow chancellor George Osborne said the Tories would make taxes "simpler and more transparent". |
| "With these changes suggested by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Geoffrey Howe, there will be no more stealth taxes," said Mr Osborne. | "With these changes suggested by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Geoffrey Howe, there will be no more stealth taxes," said Mr Osborne. |
| "Future governments will no longer be able to bury the bad news in the small print." | "Future governments will no longer be able to bury the bad news in the small print." |
| The ideas are not official policy yet, but give a clear indication of what may feature in a future Conservative election manifesto. | The ideas are not official policy yet, but give a clear indication of what may feature in a future Conservative election manifesto. |