Dave Hartnett's vision of the future, automated HMRC systems that take action without reference to human involvement:"I'd like to think that relations between tax authorities and practitioners will become less confrontational and more collaborative. If, by 2049, our tax system is fully founded on trust and openness there will have been real progress.
I would like the tax system to be widely seen for what it is – the provider of vital funds for public services. The internet and software that powers financial services will become more intelligent, providing customers with more control and flexibility over how they engage with HMRC.
Sadly, there will still be a need for compliance work and I think our systems will be driven by intelligent software that anticipates abuse, taking action without reference to human involvement.
There will still be plenty for people to do because good tax administration will always require sensitivity and judgment – that's one thing that won't change."
Tax does have to be taxing.
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If I can paraphrase Dave; decades after I am dead and burried the tax system could be based on trust and openness, but not now.
ReplyDeleteI say, if HMRC Officers saw honesty and integrity as basic concepts then there would be trust and openness!
I don't hear that at all.... a few decades from now the tax system will be de-humanised even more, we won't need to employ human beings as we'll have robots instead of real people
ReplyDeleteIntelligent Software, here in HMRC?
ReplyDeleteWell, it can't be any less intelligent than the 'management' at HMRC....
So it is true, the cyberpeople are coming. I thought Dr Who was just fiction but now I am wondering!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete"There will be still be plenty for people to do"
ReplyDelete"There will still be a need for compliance"
Is this guy for real?
I work in IT for a major insurance company and no system is ever perfect. Staff are always involved in fixing problems.
ReplyDeleteHow can you trust a system unless the users (HMRC) know what they want it to do. Unless the Tax system is simplified it will take them until 2049 just to document all their requirements if they want it truely automatic.
Ok I'm a simpleton. I tried and tried to use the online filing system without success. I phoned and phoned and tried to speak to someone to help. The helpdesk that knew about my tax affairs didn't have access to the online programme. The people who knew about the online programme didn't know about tax.
ReplyDeleteEventually I spoke to a nice lady in Scotland who knew about tax. She didn't have access to what I was seeing on screen but knew what she was on about. Problem solved.
Can we expect the same service from HMRC that I get from Ebay/paypal?
I hope not. I can't access Paypal from Ebay anymore and there are no phone numbers. The help topics don't include this problem so are useless. My only remedy seems to be to get a new email address and start again from scratch. thereby losing all my hard earned reputation points.
I won't be able to do that with HMRC.
vision - 0/10
"Can we expect the same service from HMRC that I get from Ebay/paypal?"
ReplyDeleteThats the idea. Its "more efficient" and provides "better customer service". HMRC needs to be more like these private companies because public services are about providing the illusion of service for minimum cost - not about providing an actual service. Plus accountants, tax specialists and "customers" never mislead or make mistakes. With fewer faceless beaurocrats things can only get better.