The book that many of you have been talking about over the past few days, Margaret Hodge's Called To Account: How Corporate Bad Behaviour and Government Waste Combine to Cost Us Millions (an account of her years as chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) between 2010 and 2015) has been reviewed by Chris Harmer on the LSE website.
As Trollope once said:
"It was too notorious that the civil service was filled by the family fools of the aristocracy and middle classes, and that any family, who had no fool to send, sent in lieu thereof, some invalid past hope. Thus the service had become a hospital for incurables and idiots."Nothing changes!
Tax does have to be taxing.
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For the Public Sector and HMRC in particular and management past and present Hodges' expose will feel like Syphilis, (The Gift That Keeps Giving)!
ReplyDeleteSNAFU, ROFL!
HMRC cannot be trusted to act with integrity. When HMRC are bullying taxpayers, one must not allow themselves to be manipulated into doing as they're told by them on the basis that HMRC are a morally a morally superior bunch - they are far from such a status. Always record phone calls with them, check the calculations; if subject to an inquiry allow yourself time to check if and what powers they have, do not allow them to exceed their powers, only deal in the objective facts etc. HMRC are not trustworthy and tell lies - do not been be conned.
ReplyDeleteMargaret Hodge's book raises a number of troubling issues relating to the behaviour and honesty of HMRC senior management. With that in mind taxpayers must guard themselves from the potential risks of HMRC dishonesty. Never meet with HMRC alone and always have your tax advisor present. If they turn up at your address chasing an alleged debt that you know nothing about, advise them to leave the premises immediately and to put it all in writing and close the door. Never allow them into your home.
ReplyDeleteJust like vampires, HMRC staff cannot enter your home unless invited in. Don't!
DeleteIf they enter your home re an alleged debt they can 'seize' any goods therein, as even if they belong to other residents they will be deemed to be yours unless you can provide a 'bill of sale' which most people don't keep - think of your partner's jewellery, laptop etc etc. They aren't calling round to discuss the debt - that can be done at their office or on the telephone - keep them out.
DeleteThe same people who want to punish "invalids" for not working, criticising the CS for employing them. Nice!
ReplyDeleteAnybody who seriously thinks that big business or indeed the a lot of individuals would voluntarily pay tax to pay for schools hospitals and public pensions is the idiot here -you smearing civil servants is laughable , working in an industry which has allowed banks to screw over working people left right and centre -HMRC is an appaling badly managed organisation but dont kid yourself about the accountantcy profession -anybody remember Enron , Equitable Life, Northern Rock , BHS etc or do we just have selective memories ?
ReplyDeleteHMRC has some decent people working for it, there is no doubt about that. However, let down by its poor management since its 2005 inception, HMRC has an appalling record and is an untrustworthy & discredited outfit - you only have to read Dame Margaret's book to see examples of really disgusting conduct. Notwithstanding a few high profile 'scandals', overall the accountancy profession DOES have a far better reputation with the general public than does HMRC.
DeleteIf HMRC had been really "called to account" by Hodge, they would have been asked why they had been sitting on their hands for 10 years with regards to "contractor schemes", to then claim they absolutely, imperatively, need to introduce retro tax to deal with them.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.dotas-scandal.org/a-can-of-worms/
I don't recall this ever happening.
But there's hope it will be soon.
Margaret Hodge's did a great job but the PAC is basically theatre, albeit highly effective, to raise awareness of what was going on at HMRC. Its powers were to ask the difficult questions - and it was noted Dame Margaret was not happy with the responses she was getting from HMRC. Real change however will only come when there is an independent investigation into the cultures and practices of HMRC and those responsible are made to account.
DeleteWe can only hope.
When have HMRC ever been called to account? It's a myth. They are Unaccountable.
ReplyDelete