Paid Leaks

I see that senior HMRC press officer Jonathon Hall will be charged with allegedly leaking information on the 2010 Budget to The Sun.

When I was a nipper, breaking Budget Purdah was considered to be a flogging offence. Now, sadly, Budget details are leaked as often and in much the same way as the police leak details to the media of people arrested for alleged crimes.

According to economia, Hall and his partner, Marta Bukarewicz, will be charged along with The Sun's Whitehall editor Clodagh Hartley as part of Operation Elveden.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that Hall and Hartley will be charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office over alleged inappropriate payments.

It is alleged that between 30 March 2008 and 15 July 2011 The Sun paid £17,475 to Jonathan Hall, mostly via Marta Bukarewicz, in exchange for the unauthorised disclosure of information obtained as a result of his employment with HMRC.

According to the CPS statement, the information included government plans, unannounced spending and policy decisions relating to the 2010 Budget, plus the coalition government's deficit reduction plans.

Information also related specifically to policy and decision-making within HMRC, including that relating to job losses and casework.

HMRC have not provided a statement to economia.

I wonder if Hall declared these payments in his tax return?

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance is a tax-fee protection service that will pay up to £75,000 towards your accountant's fees in the event of an HM Revenue & Customs full enquiry or dispute.

To find out more, please use this link Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



HMRC Is Shite (www.hmrcisshite.com), also available via the domain www.hmrconline.com, is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

HMRC Database Management

My thanks to a loyal reader who dropped me a note over the weekend concerning HMRC changing her address details (without her permission), and sending her ex husband her tax credit summary for 2012/2013.

She has given me permission to post her email, where she asks for advice.

I have suggested that she writes to her MP and considers contacting the mainstream media.

Please feel free to offer advice, or offer suggestions as to how this could have happened.

"I am absolutely livid with HMRC's incompetent service. Today I received notification from my ex husband that he had received my Tax Credit award summary for April 2012 - April 2013. I separated/divorced him nearly 7 years ago. Up until this point in time I have always received the tax credit awards (and related documents) to my home address. The address at which my ex husband now lives is not one I have ever been associated with. Likewise my ex husband has never been associated with my current address either.

I phoned the HRMC to find an explanation for the clear administration error. The ironic thing is, that in order to speak to someone I had to go through a series of security checks, which included providing 'my' address - however I failed this part of the checks because somehow it now had my ex husbands address! Thankfully the call centre operator changed the address back to mine. She spoke to a manager but neither of them have been able to provide me with an explanation as to why or when the address change was made. They cannot see any record of the change ever being made. Also, why was I not notified of an address change?

I do not want my ex husband knowing what I get paid and how much tax credit I get as it's none of his business. I'm mortified No amount of apology can undo this breech of confidentiality and the fact that he now has that information. 

I'm writing a letter of complaint to HMRC but is there any more I can do? 

Anyone else I can go to?"

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance is a tax-fee protection service that will pay up to £75,000 towards your accountant's fees in the event of an HM Revenue & Customs full enquiry or dispute.

To find out more, please use this link Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



HMRC Is Shite (www.hmrcisshite.com), also available via the domain www.hmrconline.com, is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Stemcor

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance is a tax-fee protection service that will pay up to £75,000 towards your accountant's fees in the event of an HM Revenue & Customs full enquiry or dispute.

To find out more, please use this link Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



HMRC Is Shite (www.hmrcisshite.com), also available via the domain www.hmrconline.com, is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

The Turn of The Seasons

Christmas may come early for some 3.5 million people, who have overpaid their tax in 2012/13 and are now owed refunds by HMRC averaging between £350 and £500.

However, another 2 million people will not be so happy; as they owe HMRC between £400 and £500, because of tax underpayments.

Thus we find ourselves in "year end reconciliation" season again, as HMRC balances its books (so to speak). The reconciliation process returns without fail each year with the depressing inevitability of an unloved season. The reconciliation process is expected to last until October.

The Guardian reports that HMRC has said it is sympathetic to cases of genuine hardship, and those who cannot afford to pay should get in touch. These people may be able to pay what they owe over two or three years.

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance is a tax-fee protection service that will pay up to £75,000 towards your accountant's fees in the event of an HM Revenue & Customs full enquiry or dispute.

To find out more, please use this link Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



HMRC Is Shite (www.hmrcisshite.com), also available via the domain www.hmrconline.com, is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Well Said Homer!

HMRC’s Homer sticks it to Hodge at #PAC. Says HMRC duty is to collect tax due under law, not what MPs think "fair" tax due should be.

Source

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance is a tax-fee protection service that will pay up to £75,000 towards your accountant's fees in the event of an HM Revenue & Customs full enquiry or dispute.

To find out more, please use this link Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



HMRC Is Shite (www.hmrcisshite.com), also available via the domain www.hmrconline.com, is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

PAC - Tax Avoidance

PAC are currently grilling Google and Homer about tax avoidance.

Witness(es): Matt Brittin, Vice President for Sale and Operations, Northern and Central Europe, Google and John Dixon, Head of Tax, Ernst and Young; Lin Homer, Chief Executive and Permanent Secretary, HM Revenue and Customs and Jim Harra, Director General Business Tax, HM Revenue and Customs

Follow it live here.

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance is a tax-fee protection service that will pay up to £75,000 towards your accountant's fees in the event of an HM Revenue & Customs full enquiry or dispute.

To find out more, please use this link Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



HMRC Is Shite (www.hmrcisshite.com), also available via the domain www.hmrconline.com, is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

UK Uncut Loses Case

UK Uncut Legal Action has lost its High Court action against HMRC.

"Not a glorious episode in history of Revenue."

Now we await the knighthoods and assorted gongs for those in HMRC who helped save Osborne embarrassment.

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance is a tax-fee protection service that will pay up to £75,000 towards your accountant's fees in the event of an HM Revenue & Customs full enquiry or dispute.

To find out more, please use this link Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



HMRC Is Shite (www.hmrcisshite.com), also available via the domain www.hmrconline.com, is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

HMRC's Motley Crew of Defaulters

HMRC have published another list of "deliberate tax defaulters". They are not quite multi million pound evaders, but instead are a rather motley crew; including a kebab shop owner, a painter/labourer and a publican.

All very well, maybe, if this deters people from tax evasion. However, there is a caveat, the people named may now well have "gone straight" and the addresses used may now have no connection with said miscreants!

As per HMRC:

"Please note that each entry on the list is specific to the default dates to which it refers. This address is the one associated with the published person at the time of the default. 

It should not be assumed that tax defaults are currently taking place at the published address or by the published person because, 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"

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance is a tax-fee protection service that will pay up to £75,000 towards your accountant's fees in the event of an HM Revenue & Customs full enquiry or dispute.

To find out more, please use this link Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



HMRC Is Shite (www.hmrcisshite.com), also available via the domain www.hmrconline.com, is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"