Tax in a changing world of work

Since the recession there has been a rapid rise in the number of individuals operating through self-employment or company owner-management. These groups are taxed substantially less heavily than employees despite receiving very similar state benefits. This creates a tax system that is complex, inefficient and unfair. In Budget 2017, the chancellor tried to take a small step towards a better tax system by increasing self-employed NICs. He failed. The best thing we can do now is unite around a long run vision for how we should tax different ways of working and start designing a pathway for getting there.