Budget 2011: EBCs face NI confusion

George Osborne announced in his budget speech today the government will this year consult on merging the two systems to create 32% basic rate tax. The Chancellor claims this will make administration simpler for employers and cheaper for taxpayers. However, advisers and EBCs foresee problems with merging the two. "The effects of a merger of income tax and national insurance will create a bigger upheaval than the A-Day simplification changes," says Robin Hames, head of technical at Bluefin. "For more than a decade it seems like the merger of PAYE and NI has been the holy grail of ...