Law firms may find it harder to defer their upcoming January tax bill as partners and tax advisers claim the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is making it tougher to defer.

A number of law firms argue increased scrutiny from HMRC will make it harder for them to make use of the Business Payment Support Service (BPSS), which was introduced in late 2008 to help prevent businesses from failing during the downturn by allowing them to defer their tax bills.