It may be the beginning of the end for those bulging files, tied carefully with tape and stored in repositories with loving care. Memos, report, requisitions could, theoretically, all be produced in electronic form before we arrive at 2002. The threat to cherished files has come from the successful conclusion of a pilot scheme to connect government offices to the Government Secure Intranet (GSI). The six pilot sites go live this month. 

The most significant milestone of the of the new self assessment tax system passed peacefully on 31 January 1998. This was the deadline for submission of tax returns. The new system does not present any real problems for the accountants, but it is a daunting prospect for those businesses who prepare their own tax returns.