BELEAGUERED Bury business bosses are being urged to join a nationwide "paperwork protest."

The call, from Bolton and Bury Chamber, is part of a strategy to encourage Government to simplify the tax system and to reduce payroll burdens on small and medium-sized employers.

The "Making Tax Simple" campaign will highlight the burdens faced by smaller companies who face growing time and cost pressures from a swathe of new obligations forcing them to act as unpaid tax collectors and administrative agents for the State.

"Making Tax Simple" points to research by the Inland Revenue which estimates that the cost of collecting income tax, National Insurance, paying statutory sick and maternity pay via payroll is £279 per annum per employee for firms with fewer than five staff. This is before the employers start paying the working families tax credit and collecting student loan repayments which bring additional time and cost burdens.

The campaign will provide Government with specific recommendations to reduce the overall burden of tax administation.

A key priority will be to secure election commitments from all political parties to establish a business-led task force to review the tax system.

Bolton and Bury Chamber chief executive Richard Bindless said: "Our members are becoming increasingly frustrated by red tape.

"Our overly complex tax system is a barrier to new business creation and growth. Radical reform is the only answer."

The Chamber is calling on local businesses to voice the frustrations they face with aspects of the tax system, the rules, the amounts to calculate, the paperwork involved or poor guidance.

Other areas might include benefits in kind, investment incentives, capital allowances, payroll burdens and direct and indirect taxes.

Comments can be voiced via Briony Simister, Bolton and Bury Chamber policy adviser, on 01204 374618.