The following Early Day Motion was tabled in the House of Commons yesterday:

EDM 1195

INCOME SHIFTING AND THE FUTURE OF SMALL BUSINESS TAXATION

17.03.2008

Drew, David

That this House welcomes the decision announced in the Budget to defer legislation on what has been described as income shifting within small limited companies and partnerships; and calls on HM Treasury and other affected departments to use the additional year that they have allowed themselves for consultation on this issue to undertake a thorough review of more appropriate means of providing smaller enterprises with a suitable legal entity designed for use in the 21st century, and not the 19th century as the limited company was, that will simultaneously reduce the taxation, accounting and regulatory burdens on smaller enterprises, so freeing them to generate wealth and employment in the UK economy, whilst ensuring that they can with minimum effort comply with the taxation and other requirements imposed upon them by law in a way that minimises risk of tax avoidance, creates a level playing field in which all in the sector can compete fairly and ensures that the right person is taxed on the reward they have earned at the right time and in ways which do not create artificial and inappropriate incentives to recategorise employment as self-employment, and the reward for labour effort expended as investment income.

I warmly welcome this EDM. David takes forward the ideas I discussed in my papers on this issue, parts at least of which I know have been placed in the House of Commons library.

It would be very good if this EDM now got wide support, and it already has signatories from all the main parties. Small business does not now need a 'lash up' solution on income shifting. Real change is needed to provide it with an appropriate structure and accounting and tax environment for the 21st century.