HMT UK Her Majesty Treasury : The Chancellor and the Office of Tax Simplification announce Bill Dodwell as new Tax Director

The government has today (10 January 2019) announced the appointment of a new Tax Director of the Office of Tax Simplification ().

Bill Dodwell will provide expert advice, guidance and direction and bring years of experience to the and its Board as a Non-Executive Member. Bill succeeds Paul Morton, who has held the position since March 2017.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Mel Stride said:

We are committed to simplifying the tax system and the Office of Tax Simplification is vital in providing informed advice on how to achieve this. Bill Dodwell has the capability and expertise to ensure the continues this valuable work.

I would like to thank Paul Morton for his exceptional work for the last two years. I am confident he leaves the on a strong footing.

Chair, Angela Knight said:

Bill has huge experience and knowledge and is already contributing to the work of the as an advisor. I am delighted to welcome Bill as the new Tax Director.

Paul has made a huge contribution to the work of the and provided an excellent platform for Bill to take forward.

Further information

The was established in 2010 to provide advice to the Chancellor on simplifying the UK tax system and was made a permanent, independent office of HM Treasury in July 2015. It was put on a statutory footing in the Finance Act 2016.

Bill Dodwell joins the with a wealth of experience:

• Bill was head of tax policy at Deloitte until May 2018, responsible for representations to HM Treasury, HMRC, the and the EU

• he is a former president of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and has chaired their technical committee. He is also editor-in-chief of the 's Tax Adviser magazine and a member of the Advisory Panel

• Bill has represented Deloitte and the at the Public Accounts Committee, the Treasury Select Committee and the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee

• he has law degrees from King's College London and Queen's College Cambridge and is a chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser

• after retiring from Deloitte, Bill joined the in July 2018 as a Senior Policy Adviser

• the is the independent adviser to government on simplifying the UK tax system, to make it easier for the taxpayer. It does not implement changes - these are a matter for government and for parliament

• the works to improve the experience of all who interact with the tax system. It aims to reduce the administrative burden - which is what people encounter in practice - as well as looking to simplify the rules. Simplification of the technical and administrative aspects of tax are important, both to taxpayers and to HMRC