CO0345 MULTI-TAX ADVISORY SERVICE

The Council is seeking a supplier to provide a multi-tax advisory service covering all relevant indirect and direct taxes. The service should be provided through a mix of channels as deemed appropriate but should be based on remote digital access options (e.g. Microsoft Teams, e-mail, etc) with an option for on-site physical presence for distinct pieces of work. The service is expected to work closely with and complement the ECC Financial Accounting Team. The service will be used primarily within the Council’s Financial Services and Financial Accounting teams but shall have scope for future growth should demand dictate over the term. The key outcomes of the service provision being sought are: • Cost effective, efficient and professional Tax-advisory support service provided to the Council’s customers; and • a seamless service provision, with selected partner considered an extension of the Council’s In-house Finance team It is envisaged that this multi-tax advisory service will be delivered through a combination of: • A multi-tax support service (e.g. helpline/portal), providing unlimited access to specialists during standard working hours who will respond to queries on indirect and direct taxes within 48 hours. Any advice provided orally to the Authority will be followed up with written confirmation, usually via electronic means (e-mail, or other). • Consultancy days tailored to advising on more complex tax matters or specific projects or issues (minimum of 10 days per annum, but with the option to purchase additional days at an agreed daily rate) which may require on site ECC presence. The Bidder is required to ensure that personnel appointed are suitably skilled and qualified to undertake the specific task. Assessment of the Authority’s performance in different areas of tax compliance, to bedelivered through a combination of health checks, process reviews, audits and/ or benchmarking. • Assistance with preparation for HMRC inspections and with making voluntary disclosures (should the need arise), to minimise any penalties that may be imposed due to errors or omissions. • Assistance with Section 33 recovery method partial exemption calculations. • Assistance with resolving disputes (should the need arise) with HM Revenue and Customs, through investigation, negotiation, mediation and litigation. • Technical updates, commentary and analysis on strategic and topical issues and opportunities. • Provision of up-to-date reference material and manuals. • Provision of annual training events (for two delegates, with the option to purchase additional places as required), with modules covering a range of different taxes, with particular focus upon the taxation of public sector bodies and those taxes that the Council may encounter through partnerships, pooling, cost sharing and outsourcing. • A client liaison manager will oversee the provision of the tax advisory service to the Council and will meet with relevant Council officers to discuss and review its tax position. • Access to above services will be via Council’s Deputy Chief Accountant being the primary point of contact for client liaison, and the Services should be scalable to meet demand. • Acceptance testing: The Bidder will conduct Acceptance Testing of the solution to ensure it is compliant with all relevant policies and procedures prior to Contract commencement. • The Council shall have the option to undertake reviews of the Solution and any related Acceptance Testing processes, or procedures to ensure that the solution remains compliant over the Contract term