Teachers urged to look into Tax Matters

With schools across the country getting ready for the new school year, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is urging teachers to log onto its new, free online resource for teachers – Tax Matters.

Specifically designed for Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE), Business Studies and Citizenship teachers of pupils aged 11-19, the Tax Matters resource contains three new teaching modules, to help secondary school pupils gain an understanding of how tax is raised, what the main taxes are, and what they ultimately pay for.

The three modules – which cover Income Tax, National Insurance, and Tax and Society –use fun, interactive features such as videos, quizzes and games, as well as key facts and figures, to help teachers bring the subject to life in the classroom.

There are also accompanying, ready-made lesson plans for each module available online, for both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 pupils – all packed with ideas for using Tax Matters with students.

All of the materials are available free by visiting www.taxmatters.hmrc.gov.uk. You can also find them on the Personal Finance Education Group (pfeg) website at www.pfeg.org/teaching_resources/resources/tax_matters.html, where they have been awarded the pfeg quality mark.

HMRC’s Caroline Smith said:

“By the end of the modules, students will be well equipped to understand what tax is all about. They’ll be clear why we pay tax in the first place, and what it means for them on a practical level, such as why it’s important to keep hold of their National Insurance number and how to understand their tax code.

“Tax Matters was developed with the help of teachers, and so reflects what they need on the ground. It’s interactive, fun and free to download, so we’d urge anyone teaching financial education this year to give it a try.”