Government’s tax department has previously indicated plans to explore new digital channels, and minister reveals that the details for registering for sales tax will, in time, no longer be posted

HM Revenue and Customs has confirmed its intent to create a digital means of issuing businesses with VAT-registration numbers.

These numbers are currently sent by post but, in its recently published Transformation Roadmap, the department revealed plans for “exploring sending VAT numbers by email”.

Asked for more details of such explorations – in a written parliamentary question from Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley – exchequer secretary to the Treasury Dan Tomlinson, confirmed that HMRC’s plans to “digitise their services where it is right to do so”, which “includes the development of a secure and GDPR-compliant digital method to communicate VAT registration details with customers”.

Tomlinson added: “Until this is developed, VAT-registration numbers are sent by physical post which minimises the risk of fraud by preventing the interception of VAT numbers by fraudsters.”

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The minister also revealed that the department is examining the potential for similar developments elsewhere in its business-taxation services.

“Similarly, the activation code for a customer to add corporation tax (CT) services to their business tax account must be delivered by a secure process”, Tomlinson said. “HMRC are investing in their legacy corporation tax system in order to provide the foundation for future improvements and will work with customers to ensure that they meet the needs of the diverse CT population.”

The HMRC Transformation Roadmap set out a sweeping reform plan for the rest of the decade, including numerous new digital services – as well as “cultural change” across the department. The strategic document outlines plans for progress in four main areas: improving day-to-day performance and the overall customer experience; closing the tax gap; reform and modernisation; and a future vision for the tax and customs system.