HMRC have started writing to 900 tax evaders, telling them that they are "on probation".
HMRC will make unannounced visits to the premises of those notified, carry out checks on their suppliers and customers and deny them access to simplified tax-filing procedures and processes for a period of up to five years.
Fair enough, until you see that the financial threshold for this has been set at a mere £5K (hardly a huge amount if the business is relatively large); and that HMRC are judge and jury when determining as to whether the "error" was deliberate (evasion), or simply an honest mistake.
Even Richard Murphy is not overly impressed, the Guardian states that he thought the plan was a good idea but poorly executed:
"I am quite concerned that the level of error is fairly low at £5,000. People can make honest mistakes."
Tax does have to be taxing.
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"I am quite concerned that the level of error is fairly low at £5,000. People can make honest mistakes."
ReplyDeleteAnd who makes most of the mistakes?
So.......HMRC makes more mistakes than it's entire taxpayer base, eh? Oh no, now I remember. When they make a mistake, its genuine error,caused by bewilderment at an over complicated system, when we do it's malicious incompetence. HMRC cracks down on known tax cheats. Kinda thought thats what we were for.........not much of a headline though.
ReplyDelete23 February 2011 17:07
ReplyDeleteI agree you are supposed to crack down on tax cheats but you seem to spend more time correcting your own fuck ups. And when you fuck up you really fuck up big time.
How many tax payers make mistakes that cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to sort out?
"So.......HMRC makes more mistakes than it's entire taxpayer base, eh?"
ReplyDeleteProbably.
"Oh no, now I remember. When they make a mistake, its genuine error,caused by bewilderment at an over complicated system,"
Probably
"when we do it's malicious incompetence."
Probably
"HMRC cracks down on known tax cheats. Kinda thought thats what we were for"
Your probably too busy covering your arse to do much about it.
18.31 Stick to one word answers, mate. When you try to string a sentence together, your logic, and grasp of the language,seem to desert you.
ReplyDeleteConfused now, so does poster 18.31 believe the original post, or are HMRC too busy arse covering to tackle tax cheats?
ReplyDeleteDammned if we do,dammned if we don't it seems. Still, probably better than reflecting on your own sad, lonely life.
I meet idiots like you every hour of every day. Always someone elses fault, never your own.
@18:31 here.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are just too clever for me and I submit to your higher intellect. I shall return to my own sad and lonely life where I am doing alright thank you very much and allow you to return to your desks in the knowledge that you work for the worst run department in the public sector.
All the best.
Checked that carefully before you posted it, I bet. LOL.
ReplyDeleteNow if we can just get HMRC to check things before they post them.
ReplyDeleteThe whole system is screwed when we send out letters to people who are wrong with their tax credits by £200 or so but we write off sums well in excess of that in many SA and Corporation Tax cases.
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing is completely arse about tit.
If you are unlucky enough to be one of these 900, sit tight, sit pretty and fuck all will happen.
This will only be a story as and HMRC takes any further action, which just ain't going to happen. It just costs too much to chase the debt.
"The whole system is screwed when we send out letters to people who are wrong with their tax credits by £200 or so but we write off sums well in excess of that in many SA and Corporation Tax cases."
ReplyDeleteAs someone who works for every penny I get and does not receive any tax credits or any other hand outs I am glad to hear it.
HMRC should be on probation. There is no confidence left in that shambles and I've lost count how many 'mistakes' they have made.
ReplyDeleteThey are hypocritical bullies, operating way above their remit. Power has corrupted this organisation and it should be stripped away from them. They are the UK's mafia.
I agree, and I work for them. There is a quite stunning level of complacency and contempt for the people who pay our wages in some sectors of HMRC. Oh sorry, our " customers" in Newspeak. Matched only by the contempt for staff demonstrated by the top team.
ReplyDeleteI do not work for HMRC but have had reason to speak to a team leader on a couple of occasions and have to agree with 17:10.
ReplyDeleteThe attitude of the person left a lot to be desired and I ended up having to remind them they where not speaking to an employee but the relative of one. They seemed to have a problem understanding that I could not give a flying f**k about their processes and procedures.