New "Business Inspector" TV series starts on March 17th

HM Revenue & Customs is spending £370,000 to sponsor a new four-part TV series to highlight its carrot and stick message for small businesses: We'll help you to get your tax right and provide help when times are tough; and we'll investigate those businesses that bend the rules.

Stephen Banyard, director of HMRC's Business Customer Unit, said that companies using the Business Link website – HMRC's new source for tax information - have saved £320m in the last year by finding the right information to get their tax records straight.

Conversely, Mr Banyard said that poor record keeping cost the Treasury £6.5bn a year.

"We are going to focus on those businesses that need help; and those who want to bend the rules," said Mr Banyard at a Supporting Small Businesses Partner conference in London at the beginning of March.

"For those that get their tax right, we'll give them more time to help when necessary, for example during short-term cash-flow problems," Mr Banyard told Ralph Morton of www.BusinessCarManager.co.uk.

"For those who won't get their tax affairs in order, we'll be investigating their businesses."

This blunt warning came as HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs) announced its support for a new TV series called The Business Inspector, a new four-part series to be broadcast weekly on Five at 8pm from March 17, 2010.

"We know that most small businesses want to get their tax right," Mr Banyard commented on its support for the programme. "But we also know that failure to take reasonable care cost the Exchequer over £6bn a year, with a major cause being poor record keeping.

"We also want small businesses to realise the benefits to them – such as improved cash flow – of taking better care of their records and paperwork."

The Business Inspector is presented by Hilary Devey, chief executive and chairman of palletised freight distribution business The Pall-Ex Group. In the four part series, Ms Devey goes into struggling businesses and reveals how improving their business systems, such as keeping good records, managing cash flow and developing marketing strategy, can help turn around their fortunes.

www.BusinessCarManager.co.uk specialises in all aspects of business motoring. On the website you can get tax advice from the drop down menu on the widget on the Law & Tax page. To access the widget, click the link Law & Tax.