ATT Director of Public Policy awarded OBE in Birthday Honours
The Association of Taxation Technician’s (ATT) Director of Public Policy, Emma Rawson, has been awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the King’s Birthday Honours List.
Emma, who has worked for the Association for nine years and became its first Director of Public Policy in December 2024, was nominated for her “service and vision” in supporting HMRC, tax agents and taxpayers during the introduction of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD).
She co-chaired the MTD Guidance Strategy Group, bringing together HMRC officials and stakeholders to shape public guidance, and chairs a cross-professional body group to identify issues and escalate them within HMRC. She has delivered more than 35 talks and webinars on MTD across the UK in the past year.
Emma said:
“I am both delighted and humbled to receive this honour, something which I could never have envisaged when I started out in my career. My thanks go to all of those who I have worked with at the ATT and HMRC over the past years for their support.
“I strongly believe that closer working between the tax profession and HMRC has a role to play in developing a better tax system for all involved.”
ATT Chief Executive Jane Ashton added:
“I am so proud of Emma and I am delighted that she has received this well-deserved honour. Her vision and expertise has been vital in growing the Association’s Technical team over the past nine years, and was reflected in her becoming the Association’s first ever Director of Public Policy in 2024.
“Emma has demonstrated exceptional service and vision in supporting HMRC, tax agents, and taxpayers through the major transformation of Income Tax administration via MTD. Her leadership and commitment have been pivotal to the success of this national and crucial initiative, fundamentally changing how millions of individuals and businesses interact with the tax system.
“She has been the driving force behind the ATT’s digital content on MTD, utilising technical guidance, videos, guides and social media to reach various audiences and raise awareness of the regime.”
Beyond MTD, Emma’s voluntary work includes supporting local self-employment networks and designing educational materials. She also works to raise the aspirations of young people in the West Yorkshire area, visiting schools and colleges to provide assembly talks, discuss possible career paths and provide practical support.