Accountancylive reports that HMRC is facing a skills shortage, something loyal readers have repeatedly warned about on this site.
It seems that HMRC is facing an exodus of senior tax specialists, an exodus that is gathering pace at an "alarming rate":
"as 80% of the organisation’s top team are set to flee the departmental nest this summer."I wonder if the word "nest" is really the best description of HMRC?
Anyhoo, the article goes on to list some familiar names who are leaving (no surprises to loyal readers of this site):
- Steve Lamey, director-general for benefits and credit, is taking up a new role in the private sector while three of the five commissioners are retiring.
- HMRC is looking for a replacement for Mike Clasper.
- Lin Homer has only been in post for less than six months
- Director of customer and strategy, Naomi Ferguson, is to head up New Zealand’s tax authority in July.
As the article points out, the irony is that Dave Hartnett was the only commissioner in HMRC with ‘deep tax knowledge’. However, HMRC are looking to plug the gaps.
An HMRC spokesperson said:
"The most important aspect of this recruitment process is getting the right people for the right roles.Glad to see that tax is a "key element" in the recruitment process!
Applications will be welcome from both internal and external candidates in a fair and open competition.
Replacements will need to have a range of experience for such senior roles; tax will be one of the key elements."
Anyhoo, I dare say that Hartnett could be persuaded to come back as a consultant if the fees were right?
Tax does have to be taxing.
Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations
What is TAXWISE?
TAXWISE 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 Taxwise
Tax Investigation for Dummies, by Nick Morgan, provides a good and easy to read guide for anyone caught up in an HMRC tax investigation. A must read for any Self Assessment taxpayer.
Click the link to read about: Tax Investigation for Dummies
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"
Rats and ship are the two words which spring to mind. There are more and more leaving, everyone is fed up with pacesetter, stats which are nothing short of a figure fudging exercise, promotion for anyone who can talk bollocks at 'shiteboard meetings' and managers who can't answer a tax query. I got my 8th new manager in a year today. Another pacesetter practitioner! There are not too many of us around who have a taxes background, the place is a shambles. But we all know why, the government are making it so crap so they can sell it off bit by bit cheaply to their mates
ReplyDelete