LONDON (Reuters) — Britain’s finance minister Gordon Brown will set out plans to improve relations between firms and tax authorities at a meeting with his global business advisors, including ex-US Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan.Firms have long complained Britain is not business friendly and Brown is expected to use the meeting to announce the implementation of proposals by the ex-head of HM Revenue and Customs David Varney on improving tax administration.

With Brown now almost certain to take over the Labour leadership from outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair, Treasury sources said he also laid out a ten-year vision of Britain under his tenure to other cabinet ministers on Thursday.

The first taste of policy under a Brown premiership will come in the pre-budget report on December 6, and sources say Brown told the cabinet Britain needed to make further progress in skills, science, transport and planning.

He also said the UK must maintain economic flexibility to ensure future prosperity.

The Varney review recommends an “advance ruling” system whereby HMRC will decide the tax implications of large investment and corporate reconstruction projects before they are made.

Previously, HMRC’s view of the tax implications of a transaction could change once the investment had been made.

Under the recommendations, HMRC will also make it normal practice to give within 28 days a legally binding view on the tax implications of any large business investment, both before and after transactions are made.

The government is expected to consult on the details of the report at next year’s budget and the advance rulings system is expected to be running by the time the pre-budget report is published late next year.

The remainder of the recommendations are expected to be implemented by the end of 2007.

Business groups welcomed the proposed changes.

“The relationship between business and HMRC has been a cause for growing concern to the business community in recent times,” said Richard Lambert, Director General of the Confederation of British Industry.

“What is promised now is a more transparent, open and predictable approach and one where problems will be dealt with in a timely manner.”