Thursday, 20 March 2025

List of Deliberate Tax Defaulters


 


Updated 18 March 2025

Each entry on this list is specific to the default dates to which it refers. The address is the one associated with the published person at the time of the default. For example:

  • the published person may have changed their behaviour
  • the published person may no longer be at the published address
  • the business currently at the published address may have no connection with published business
  • the business currently at the published address may have the same name as the published business but could be under completely new management

Amounts in the list relate to the tax/duty on which penalties are based and the penalties charged, where the penalty meets the criteria for publishing under the Publishing Details of Deliberate Defaulters legislation. The list does not necessarily represent the full default of the taxpayer.

 


Tax does have to be taxing.

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Monday, 17 March 2025

HMRC’s New PAYE Portal: A Recipe for Disaster?

In a recent speech to the Chartered Institute of Taxation, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Murray unveiled HMRC’s ambitious plan to launch a new public portal for PAYE (Pay As You Earn) taxpayers, set to go live next month. The portal promises to serve 34 million taxpayers by allowing them to check employment and pension data held by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), update their details, and understand changes to their tax codes. On paper, it’s a bold step toward modernising tax administration and empowering taxpayers. In reality, however, HMRC’s track record and its reliance on outdated, creaky legacy systems make this venture a disaster waiting to happen.
 
A Noble Idea, But a Shaky Foundation
The concept of a user-friendly digital portal is appealing. Taxpayers deserve transparency and easy access to their records, especially in an era where online banking and government services are increasingly streamlined. For a workforce of 34 million, a functional PAYE portal could reduce confusion around tax codes, cut down on administrative errors, and save time for both citizens and HMRC staff. But the devil is in the delivery—and HMRC’s history suggests it’s ill-equipped to pull this off without significant hiccups.
 
The department’s core issue lies in its sprawling, antiquated IT infrastructure. HMRC operates a patchwork of legacy systems, some of which date back decades. These systems were never designed to handle the scale, speed, or security demands of a modern digital portal serving millions. Integrating them with a shiny new front-end interface is akin to bolting a sleek electric engine onto a horse-drawn carriage—it might look impressive, but it’s unlikely to run smoothly.
 
Legacy Systems: The Achilles’ Heel
HMRC’s reliance on old technology isn’t a secret. Over the years, reports from the National Audit Office (NAO) and other watchdogs have highlighted the department’s struggles with outdated IT. Systems like the National Insurance Recording System (NIRS2) and the PAYE Online Service are clunky, fragmented, and prone to failure. These platforms weren’t built for real-time data updates or user-driven interactions—they’re relics of a bygone era, designed for back-office processing rather than customer-facing functionality.
 
Take the PAYE system itself: it’s a labyrinth of interconnected databases that often fail to sync properly. Taxpayers frequently report discrepancies between what employers submit and what HMRC records, leading to incorrect tax codes and over- or under-payments. A new portal layered on top of this mess won’t fix the underlying flaws—it’ll merely expose them to millions of users. Imagine 34 million people logging in to check their data, only to find outdated records, missing pension details, or inexplicable tax code changes. The potential for chaos is immense.
 
A History of Digital Missteps
HMRC’s track record with tech projects doesn’t inspire confidence. The department has faced criticism for botched initiatives like the Real Time Information (RTI) rollout, which aimed to modernise PAYE reporting but left small businesses scrambling to comply. More recently, the Making Tax Digital (MTD) program—intended to digitise tax returns—has been plagued by delays, cost overruns, and complaints from users about its complexity. These projects stumbled despite years of planning and significant investment. Now, HMRC wants to launch a public-facing portal in a matter of weeks? It’s hard to see this ending well.
 
The rushed timeline only amplifies the risk. Building a secure, reliable portal for 34 million users requires rigorous testing, data migration, and staff training—none of which can be adequately accomplished in a month. HMRC’s legacy systems will need to feed accurate, up-to-date information into the portal, but their history of glitches and data mismatches suggests this is a tall order. A single failure—say, a corrupted database or a security breach—could grind the system to a halt, leaving taxpayers frustrated and HMRC scrambling to respond.
 
The Human Cost of a Digital Disaster
Beyond the technical challenges, there’s a human element to consider. HMRC’s workforce is already stretched thin, with staff cuts and office closures reducing its capacity to handle queries. A new portal will inevitably generate a flood of calls and complaints as users encounter bugs, struggle to navigate the interface, or dispute inaccurate data. Yet the department’s helplines are notoriously understaffed, with wait times often measured in hours. If the portal flops, taxpayers will bear the brunt—facing delayed refunds, incorrect tax bills, or simply being unable to access their own information.
 
And then there’s security. Legacy systems are notoriously vulnerable to cyberattacks, and HMRC holds a treasure trove of sensitive data: names, addresses, National Insurance numbers, and income details for millions. A hastily launched portal could become a prime target for hackers, especially if it’s bolted onto old infrastructure with known weaknesses. A data breach would not only undermine public trust but also expose HMRC to legal and financial fallout.
 
Too Big, Too Soon
HMRC’s new PAYE portal is a classic case of ambition outpacing capability. The idea of giving taxpayers more control is laudable, but the department’s creaky legacy systems and history of digital stumbles make it painfully clear that this project is doomed to falter. Without a complete overhaul of its backend infrastructure—something that would take years, not weeks—HMRC cannot hope to deliver a portal that’s functional, secure, and user-friendly for 34 million people.
 
The Treasury may see this as a shiny new toy to flaunt, but taxpayers and HMRC staff will be left picking up the pieces when it inevitably breaks. Unless the department delays the launch, invests in modernising its systems, and prepares for the onslaught of demand, this portal risks becoming yet another chapter in HMRC’s long saga of technological woe. For now, it’s not a question of if this will be a disaster, but how big the disaster will be.

Tax does have to be taxing.

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Friday, 14 March 2025

HMRC’s Shameless Dance with Fujitsu: A Betrayal of Trust and Competence


 
You’d think that after Fujitsu’s software disasters led to hundreds of innocent subpostmasters being hounded, bankrupted, and jailed, HMRC might pause and reflect before handing over more taxpayer cash to this disgraced firm. But no—apparently, competence and accountability are optional when you’re a government department with a bottomless chequebook.
 
Let’s set the scene. Fujitsu, the company that built the glitch-ridden Horizon system, has spent years dodging meaningful responsibility for the chaos it unleashed on the Post Office. The faulty software falsely showed cash shortfalls, triggering a witch hunt that ruined lives while Fujitsu pocketed profits. After public outrage—sparked in part by a TV drama that finally forced the nation to pay attention—Fujitsu made a grand gesture in early 2024, claiming it would “pause” bidding on government contracts. 
 
A noble retreat, right? 
 
A chance to atone for its sins? 
 
Don’t be so naive. 
 
Just yesterday, on March 13, 2025, Computer Weekly dropped a bombshell: Fujitsu staff working on HMRC contracts are staging a 22-day strike over pay disputes, revealing that not only is Fujitsu still deeply embedded in HMRC’s operations, but it’s raking in so much cash that the tax agency has become a veritable “cash cow” for the firm. So much for that pause.
 
This strike—set to run from March 21 to April 23—lays bare the grotesque reality. Fujitsu workers at HMRC, represented by the Public and Commercial Services Union, are furious. Why? Because while Fujitsu reports “large profits” from its HMRC contracts, it’s offering these employees pay rises that don’t even keep pace with inflation. 
 
Meanwhile, their in-house HMRC colleagues snag significantly better deals. It’s a stark illustration of Fujitsu’s priorities: squeeze the workers, milk the government, and laugh all the way to the bank. And HMRC? They’re complicit, happily funnelling public money into this dysfunctional mess while Fujitsu’s track record festers like an open wound.
 
Let’s not mince words: HMRC’s decision to keep Fujitsu in the fold is a slap in the face to every subpostmaster who suffered under Horizon’s lies. It’s not just tone-deaf—it’s a deliberate choice to ignore a scandal that shattered lives. Fujitsu’s pledge to step back from government contracts was clearly a PR stunt, a flimsy tissue waved to placate an angry public. Yet here we are, in 2025, with HMRC still tethered to a company that can’t even treat its own staff decently, let alone deliver reliable systems. If Fujitsu’s HMRC work is anything like its Post Office debacle, taxpayers should brace for chaos—missing tax records, botched calculations, and who knows what else. HMRC’s blind faith in this tarnished firm isn’t just reckless; it’s a betrayal of the public it’s meant to serve.
 
The numbers tell their own damning story. Back in April 2022, HMRC handed Fujitsu a £500 million contract extension, even as the Horizon scandal’s fallout grew louder. Now, with the strike news, we see the fruits of that relationship: a workforce so fed up they’re walking out for nearly a month, and a contractor so flush with HMRC cash it can afford to shrug off its promises. Fujitsu’s “pause” on bidding was never a retreat—it was a sleight of hand, a way to keep the gravy train rolling while the spotlight dimmed. And HMRC, rather than cutting ties with this toxic partner, has doubled down, proving it cares more about corporate convenience than public trust.
 
What’s the excuse, HMRC? 
 
That Fujitsu’s too entrenched to replace? 
 
That the sunk costs are too high? 
 
Spare us!
 
The real cost is in the erosion of faith—faith in a tax system that can’t even pick competent partners, faith in a government that rewards failure with fat contracts. Fujitsu’s role in the Post Office scandal should’ve been a death knell for its public sector work. Instead, HMRC has propped it up, turning a blind eye to the past and a deaf ear to the present. This strike is just the latest symptom of a rotten arrangement. It’s time to rip up the contracts, hold Fujitsu to account, and stop treating taxpayers like fools. Anything less is an insult.

Tax does have to be taxing.

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  • Full Support: From dealing with initial letters to attending tribunals, your tax return agent can focus on defending you, not on the cost.
  • Peace of Mind: With Solar Protect, sleep easy knowing your accountant can fight for your rights without hesitation, thanks to our comprehensive coverage.

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