Further to our news item of the 24th March 2014 we were notified on Friday that the Government has launched a further consultation which is open until 27th June 2014, on the provision of Tax-Free Childcare accounts to parents. They have advised that it builds on the previous consultation which looked at how different market structures could be used to provide childcare accounts in the private sector. This consultation adds options by which the government could deliver Tax-Free Childcare accounts itself, through either National Savings and Investments (NS&I), or within HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and requests views on the options to deliver Tax-Free Childcare accounts.

For your information we have attached below a link to the consultation document: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/tax-free-childcare-consultation-on-childcare-account-provision

We are attending two workshops at HMRC next month which will hopefully provide further insight into why the Government is looking again at different market structures to provide childcare accounts. This is contrary to the Government’s announcement in March that current childcare voucher providers would be excluded from the new scheme and that the contract had been instead awarded to one single account provider - National Savings & Investments (NS&I).

We will provide further updates on the new consultation as and when they become available.

Further information is available on the Tax-Free Childcare scheme by visiting www.gov.uk or by telephoning 0300 200 1919.