Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Local Government
I welcome the publication of the Welsh Revenue Authority’s (WRA) Annual Report and Accounts for 2022-2023 (14 September 2023). This document reports on the first year of the WRA’s Corporate Plan for 2022-2025.
During the year the WRA collected and administered over £400 million in Land Transaction Tax and Landfill Disposals Tax. This money goes directly towards funding public services here in Wales.
I am particularly pleased to see the WRA responding to the ongoing cost of living crisis, finding ways to prevent people getting into debt, and providing improved support where debt was unavoidable.
This report shows work has significantly progressed in addressing the illegal disposal of waste in Wales, with the first cases of Unauthorised Disposals being charged, and tax collected. This is a significant milestone.
The WRA continues to support the Welsh Government’s Programme for Government, working on future tax development, including the proposal to provide local authorities in Wales with the power to introduce a discretionary visitor levy.
The Welsh Revenue Authority is a non-Ministerial department of Welsh Government with its own Board. During the year, I appointed Ruth Glazzard as the new Chair to replace Kathryn Bishop, whose term of office had come to an end. I thanked Kathryn for the significant role she played in establishing and steering the WRA through its formative years. I look forward to Ruth contributing to the organisation’s success over the coming years.