HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has a statutory duty of confidentiality which restricts the use and disclosure of the information it holds relating to the tax affairs of individuals, companies and other bodies.
However, HMRC acknowledges that there have been difficulties with registering new businesses for VAT. An action plan for tackling delays was implemented in June 2007 and HMRC has put additional staff in post, invested in IT improvements, and continues to refine the risk criteria so they stay targeted on the right risks. These measures have significantly improved VAT Registration performance.
During December 2007 and January 2008 HMRC delivered their target performance level with over 70 per cent. of applications being processed within 14-days.