The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) and the Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) have published a response to HMRC's consultation document: 'Establishing the future relationship between the tax agent community and HM Revenue & Customs (Tax Agent Strategy)'.
Here are a few extracts:
"The overriding issue to manifest itself is that the condoc shows insufficient understanding of how agents work, of the various types of firms they may work for and of the problems they face in coping with a system which is creaking at the edges...
Successful delivery of the TAS depends on winning the hearts and minds of the tax community and HMRC should take deliberate steps to build trust....
There is a widespread cynicism about HMRC’s main drivers for change, which we have been informed are not about saving costs...HMRC need to work harder at explaining their strategy and resist the traditional approach of assertion..
It is disappointing that the consultation document omitted any analysis of the systems in place in other countries..."
Here is the "killer" quote:
"...some of our members voluntarily informed us that they are keen to be able to do HMRC’s work, especially as they say this would reduce the need to deal with inadequately trained HMRC staff and enable them to make adjustments once only."
It shall be interesting to see if HMRC takes these comments on board.
Tax does have to be taxing.
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Effective communication requires an ability to listen and be receptive to the views of others, I am led to believe it is also a 2-way process.
ReplyDeleteNot sure where Pacesetter fits into this, if at all by the look of it.
Innovation and an ability to think outside the box across the piste (yes I know, but they do love their eumphemisms etc!) would go a long way towards obtaining an effective outcome.
Good luck everybody, and don't forget the simians, left at a P.C. long enough they are believed to be capable of writing the complete works of Shakespear, hardly ignorant nor illiterate?
LOL :D
LOL. @ 17.23
ReplyDeleteIt's across the piece. Not piste. Bard incorrectly spelled.
C- Must do better.
How about reintroducing the programme of training that most AO's got pre HMRC? e.g. 13-20 weeks learning different subjects and enabled those AO's/E1's/RO's/TO's etc (depending on what era you joined) to have a good all round knowledge of the job they are doing.
ReplyDeleteInstead of 1 or 2 weeks of online learning that new entrants get?
Noooooo! can't do that.... investing in staff training doesn't contribute to 'performance statistics'.
Yes I suspect there are several people who are members of the CIOT and other accounting organisations who would like to do HMRC's work, but the UK has already seen proof of what a hash the private sector has made of HMRC if they want to join in they are more than welcome as long as it leads to actual improvements rather than adding
a few 000's to the end of their profit like the consultants have done.
Oh ye of little faith, how do I enlighten you?
ReplyDeleteWhen I said they do so love to use that phrase I meant it, but for you doubting Thomas, here is proof positive from their own mouth (so to speak):-
Pasted from HMRC Communiry Customs Code - Consultation item What are The Changes? what follows is bullet point 9...
■Standard requirement for security across the piste - current exemptions will probably be replaced by modulated security for customs debt extended across the piste. It is hoped that traders and/or traffic currently exempted will qualify for guarantee waiver.
I do however give you credit for correcting my incorrect spelling of Shakespeare, you may hold the Pacesetter success stick for the remainder of the weekend, well done you are showing signs of improvement.
Oh, and well said 12th @ 19:46, spot on.
Of course if you spend around .
£5k on a nice 8 foot tall magnetic quadrant shaped board on castors that you wheel the meaningless statics around to force-feed them to the staff to prove how good your Directorship is, well multiply that by the Directorships, I think you understand my drift?
No doubt someone earned a specific bonus for this idea?
Get the HMIC and the auditors in, sort it out. Get it back to where it should be, if not an icon at least leading by example.
(exasperated of Tonbridge Wells)
William Shakespear rarely spelled his name the same way twice. There is no definitive spelling, there may well be an accepted way of spelling it these days but in modern parlance it matters not as very few seem to be able to spell anything correctly. As long as it is understood what is meant it appears these days that spelling is unimportant.
ReplyDeleteAh, spelling, eye remember spelling, it were when we lived in't shoebox in't 'ole in't grownd!
ReplyDeleteShoebox in't hole in't grownd? That were luxury that were! We lived in't cardboard box under lilac tree and were fed scraps from't pikey's next door.
Scraps, scraps, that were sheer luxury, we et from dogs bowl when he finished and our dad would leather us wit belt if we complained.
Belt, belt, that were extravagance that were, we got 'it wit barbed wire twice a day, thrice on Sundays, ant that were a luxury!
So you see, the youth of today ave never ad it so good ave they?
LOL ;D
@11.04Snippets all taken from Hansard transcripts, or from UK government websites:
ReplyDeleteWe ought to raise standards across the piece...
...to make sure that that can be replicated across the piece...
...can be improved across the piece to bring the performance...
...right across the piece, to give succour and support to children and vulnerable...
It was hoped that that process would lead to opinion across the piece...
...coming together behind one option by reductions in administration costs right across the piece...
...education programmes that will impact across the piece...
For more details across the piece on social exclusion...
I could go on . The "piste" version works, too, but "piece" is much more common, across the piste
Are you taking the piste or what?
ReplyDeleteLOL :)
I am in fact well piste off with this whole debate...........
ReplyDeleteI used to be a fan of this sites blogs but its deteriating into as much a farce as HMRC is..
ReplyDelete@10:02, it's probably because HMRC has now formed an internet troll department as part of their fight back against criticism.
ReplyDelete@10.26
ReplyDeleteJust because you're paranoid - doesn't mean they're not watching you............
The golden rectal glow transcends all that went before.
ReplyDeleteSomewhere in the not too distant future those that have been dumped upon will be getting their just deserts, and those that did the dumping will be held to account.
And do you know what, they know it!
Eat scatological efflufivum motherfeckers!
@10.26: I doubt very much that HMRC possesses the organisation, competence or initiative to create a troll department.
ReplyDelete@22.18
ReplyDeleteYep, and the veangeful hordes will be lead by Santa Claus, The Easter bunny and the tooth fairy.
@16 August 2011 11:15
ReplyDeleteI agree. As to deflect criticism would probably involve people in the different directorates actually having to talk to eachother, perish the thought!