The Construction Confederation has written to chancellor Gordon Brown to request an urgent meeting to discuss the CIS tax scheme.

Chairman Peter Commins wrote to Brown after the Inland Revenue announced plans to push ahead with the introduction of the revamped CIS scheme in April. There is widespread concern that IT providers and construction firms will not be ready for the launch.

In his letter to Brown, Commins criticised the Revenue’s failure to heed warnings from the industry.

He wrote: “We have been warning your officials that April 2006 was unrealistic because the necessary software to run the scheme would not be ready in time. This view is supported by the software industry. Your officials continue to be in denial about this.”

Commins added that similar confusion was caused last time the Revenue revised the CIS, when the department was forced into an eleventh hour concession.