Friday, 1 April 2011
A Disaster Waiting To Happen
David Gauke, the Exchequer secretary, has given an answer to a written parliamentary question that confirms that HMRC will proceed with the Real Time Information scheme for tax payment.
"I expect HMRC to be in a position to pilot the Real Time Information system with employers, pension providers and payroll bureaux from the spring of 2012."
Really?
Real world experience shows that just because a politician gives a fantasy deadline, the actuality is far removed from fantasy.
Regarding Gauke's fantasy project, tax professionals are not convinced that the deadline is realistic or that HMRC are actually up to the job of implementing this system.
HMRC have given guarantees to the DWP that the system will be in place before the October 2013 deadline for Universal Credits.
This is all very well. However, basic trials of the system will not begin until April 2102; more detailed live trials will not start until January 2013.
What happens if the trials throw up faults that take longer than the October 2013 deadline to address?
Capgemini are being paid to pull this rabbit from the hat.
TechEye quote Matthew Brown, Technical Officer at the Chartered Institute of Taxation:
"This is less of a tax decision and more to do with government department's wishes as this is all based around universal credit proposals.
We are certainly concerned that there is not enough time to prepare for such a project, as most projects would need at least 18 months to prepare the software according to developers, while only one year is being given to get it right before live tests begin."
He added:
"It is a tall order and it means that there is absolutely no room for errors in the system."
HMRC are not known for being "error free".
Online tax forms took five years to be thoroughly tested and put in place.
Any bets as to whether this project will come in on time, on budget and error free?
As noted, politicians tend to avoid reality. Sadly for HMRC this project is being driven by politics and David Gauke is a politician/lawyer not a finance/IT professional.
Tax does have to be taxing.
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Do any of these assholes know anything about whats going on the office floor?
ReplyDeleteDisputes, leagl advice, bullying, sickness. Agressive Junior-senior management.
""I expect HMRC to be in a position to pilot the Real Time Information system with employers, pension providers and payroll bureaux from the spring of 2012."
Him and whose Army. They can go fuck themselves.
If I didn't know better I'd think that this was an April Fool's prank
ReplyDeleteReal time - theres only one reality about it and we all know what thats going to be.......
ReplyDeleteThe biggest balls up since the unsinkable titanic took its maiden voyage.
If I had any money I,d stuff the mattress with it before it disappears into thin air when these morons start pressing buttons.
Earwig go! Earwig Go! Earwig Go!
ReplyDeleteThe lunar ticks are running the arse eye lum.
An olde shepherd is herd to say "Let's get the flock out of here"!
Someone has to get a grip on this continuing farce before a lot of serious damage is done.
Any volunteers?
Ant suggestions?
Answers on the back of a postage stamp please.
Maybe godaffi could take over, he seems to be able to get people to sing and dance as well as support him.
ReplyDelete"Zippy" says " Read Private Eye No. 1285, todays date, turn to page 27 and read about the Vodaphone Tax Deal as reported by the Commons Select Committee - it's Hartnetts own words that are reported.....by the Committee no less!!!
ReplyDeleteNow you begin to see where the missing £Bn's of the tax gap are increased by none other than.....the Tax Man!
Seemples Peeples!
If I were a gambler I might drop a few quid on Hartnett getting a knighthood and then leaving to join............fill in the gaps.
ReplyDeleteAdd a couple of quid on Clasper getting a gong of some sort followed swiftly by a cut in his working week of 2 days, Oh, then he wouldn't actually work any days would he?
And then there is Leslie, well she is already a dame, is she eligible for the Lord's?
Today's leading question then...
Who failed to get the case against Ken Dodd to stick?
Have you ever been tickled missus?!
And you wonder why HMRC is in the state it is?
Gauke is an arse
ReplyDeleteThe question has been asked before but is worth repeating.
ReplyDeleteHow are those idiots in management paid so much basic and in bonuses when their performances are so obviously poor?
If you want to play at being in the commercial or real world with Pacesetter principles and big boy's pay you had better start providing value for money otherwise come the revolution you will be lined up with the rest.
David Gauke doesn't even know the difference between Tax "evasion" and "avoidance". Why should we listen to anything this dimwit says? The IT salesmen will run rings around him just as they did with the so-called "New Labour" party. Where's Superman when we need him? He-e-e-e-lp!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis proposal, which is being driven not by any real expectation that it will improve the efficiency of the operation of PAYE but by the fact that introduction of the Universal Credit is dependent on it, is a frankly terrifying prospect for anyone with the brains to understand the potential consequences.
ReplyDeleteHMRC's PAYE and National Insurance system (a computer package that's actually far better at doing the basics than most people suggest, although a long way from being without flaws) was originally scheduled to be introduced in 2005, after several years of development. It was finally introduced in 2009 and the first implementation was released with deliberately limited functionality, yet still managed to demonstrate show-stopping bugs.
There were also clear indications that the department had provided a poorly thought out design brief that belied the complete lack of understanding of the day-to-day work by those that created it.
Real Time Information and it's associated computer system is scheduled to be brought in in less time than the final design tweaks to NPS took. It simply cannot happen - there is no way that this organisation can effectively manage a project this complex to a successful conclusion within that timescale, you might as well ask Strathie to plan a mission to Mars.
With the Universal Credit being such a flagship policy of Nick 'n' Dave's comedy roadshow, I can see RTI being forced through regardless of the robustness of the planning and support systems and yet again, the staff will be asked to pick up the pieces and engage in ridiculous work-rounds to give some kind of impression that the system is working, all whilst being pilloried in the press for incompetence that occurred several grades above them and which they are simply unable to ameliorate, regardless of how good they are at their jobs.