Showing posts with label concentrix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label concentrix. Show all posts

Tuesday, 18 July 2017

HMRC Blames Fraud Failure On Concentrix


Oh in case you are wondering why HMRC will miss its fraud reduction targets, HMRC are blaming Concentrix.

HMRC's recently published annual report says “loss of additional capacity” in the wake of the failure of its contract with Concentrix meant it would not meet its error and fraud target for 2016-17.

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Monday, 6 February 2017

Concentrix Tax Credit Cases To Be Reviewed


The Work and Pensions Committee, that produced a scathing report on Concentrix, has stated that HMRC has accepted its recommendations.

As such HMRC will review up to 23,000 new cases of people who have had had their tax credits screwed up by Concentrix/HMRC.

In a report to MPs, the government disclosed that of 36,000 claimants who lodged an appeal against a ruling by Concentrix, 87% were upheld and have had their benefits reinstated.

The remaining 23,000 claimants who did not appeal will have their cases reviewed as well, the government has told the Work and Pensions Committee.

The BBC quotes a a statement to the committee from the government:
"HMRC will review those cases to establish that decisions made by Concentrix were properly made and communicated to claimants.

Where absolutely necessary, we will re-contact the claimant to request further information relating to their claim. Current plans indicate that this activity could be completed by March 2017 but the scope of this work will be confirmed once an analysis of the total cost has been produced."
Frank Field (Chairman) said:
"HMRC was right to fire its contractor, but many of the processes used by Concentrix were the same as those used by HMRC itself. 

For many claimants, particularly those who were unwell, lacked self-confidence or had caring responsibilities, the document-heavy process of challenging a wrong decision by Concentrix was surely prohibitively daunting.

The real answer is of course to root out fraud and error at entry to the system rather than stopping benefits in payment as first resort."
A HMRC spokesman said:
"It is important to make checks on tax credits payments to ensure the right people are receiving them under the law, and this work will now be done by HMRC.

We will not be entering into external contracts for this in future. We apologise to all those who did not receive the standard of service that they should have."
Any guesses as to what the final bill for this clusterfuck will be?

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Tuesday, 17 January 2017

Frank Field Calls For Concentrix Compensation


Frank Field writes in the Huffington Post:
"I propose to HMRC that, as a postscript to the Concentrix tale, it proactively approaches those families whose tax credits were wrongly stopped with two offers: to pay back those lost monies as a lump sum or over a more gradual period; and to compensate those families in full for any additional charges, such as debt interest, that they incurred to ensure their children did not end up hungry or homeless."
I fully agree.

However, does HMRC know who it screwed over?

I suspect its records are amiss.

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Wednesday, 7 December 2016

MTD and Concentrix - Appalling Human Consequences


Unsurprisingly the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has expressed serious concerns about HMRC's digital policy.

Digitising the Tax System (MTD)


PAC is quoted by Accountancy Age:
HMRC is staking a great deal on the success of its plans to digitise the tax system, but once again it lacks an adequate plan if demand for its call centres does not reduce as quickly as it hopes.” 
MTD “must” meet the challenges of cutting spending, restructuring its business, dealing with Brexit, relocating staff, and replacing a major IT contract.

Also, HMRC must agree on a contingency plan with HM Treasury in case its projections are inaccurate. Meg Hillier, MP, chair of the PAC, added:
Contingency planning should not be an optional extra.

HMRC plays a vital role, it is disconcerting that again we must raise concerns about customer service and transparency in the tax system. The lack of a convincing fall-back plan to safeguard service remains a looming threat.” 

“Complete failure” of Concentrix


The Concentrix farce also came in for a well desrved kicking.

There has been “unnecessary hardship and suffering” due to the “complete failure” of the contract of HMRC with Concentrix. The actions of Concentrix resulted in many tax claimants being wrongly accused of fraudulent claims and lost their payments.

Hillier added:
We look forward to meaningful action to prevent a repeat of the failings embodied by its contract with Concentrix, a venture with appalling human consequences.”
Let's see what the future will bring!

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Tuesday, 15 November 2016

HMRC Terminates Concentrix Contract Early


As expected, HMRC has confirmed that it is bringing an early end to its tax credits fraud and error contract with Concentrix, after a collapse in customer service levels over the summer.

HMRC's chief executive Jon Thompson has already announced that the tax authority will not be not be renewing its payment-by-results deal (set for expiry in May 2017) with Concentrix, after what he called a “fundamental failure of basic customer service”.

Thompson said last month that the tax authority was "in the late stages" of "a legal conversation about how this contract essentially finishes", and HMRC has now confirmed that both sides have agreed an early end to the deal.

In a message to HMRC staff, seen by CSW, director general for transformation Nick Lodge said HMRC and Concentrix had "worked together" to bring existing tax credits work in-house.

"Meanwhile, we thought it would be appropriate to look at the position of the contract and, following further discussions with Concentrix, we felt we could better serve our customers by ending the contract early, rather than continuing it through to the scheduled expiry in May 2017."
Lodge confirmed that the tax authority had now transferred "around 250" Concentrix staff in-house, and said the former private sector staff were "working with experienced teams and managers to help them fit into HMRC" at HMRC's Belfast sites.
"Overall, the agreement to end this contract early is the best outcome for HMRC, tax credits customers and for the taxpayer, allowing us to continue to bear down on error and fraud, and to provide the levels of service our customers expect".
In a statement issued to the press, Thompson said:
"HMRC’s dedicated staff have cleared all of the cases transferred from Concentrix while striking the right balance in both providing the standards of service that customers rightly expect and bearing down on error and fraud in the tax credits system.

This is the right outcome for customers and for the taxpayer. I’m also pleased to receive 250 Concentrix staff, who will help us to deliver our priorities, offering job security to them well beyond the scheduled expiry of the contract in May 2017.”
HMRC said all 181,000 cases it had taken back from Concentrix had now been dealt with, and said staff moving over from the private provider had "received further training and support to help HMRC strike the right balance in ensuring good customer service and bearing down on error and fraud in the tax credits system".

Right then, how much has this early termination cost the taxpayer?

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Tuesday, 1 November 2016

NAO To Investigate HMRC/Concentrix Contract


HMRC’s contract with Concentrix


The NAO intends to carry out a factual investigation looking at the performance of Synnex-Concentrix UK Ltd (a business services provider) in supporting HMRC’s anti-fraud and error interventions. HMRC contracted with Concentrix in 2014 to provide it with additional capacity. HMRC announced that their three year contract with Concentrix would not be extended once it expires in May 2017. In this investigation we will review the performance of Concentrix and how HMRC has managed the contract, including HMRC’s decision not to extend the contract.

If you would like to provide evidence for our investigation please email the study team on enquiries@nao.gsi.gov.uk, putting the study title in the subject line. The team will consider the evidence you provide; however, please note that due to the volume of information we receive we may not respond to you directly. If you need to raise a concern please use our contact form.

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Monday, 31 October 2016

HMRC Wants Quickie Divorce From Concentrix

 

Given the ongoing shit storm wrt HMRC's and Concentrix's handling of tax credits, it should come as no surprise to learn that HMRC is negotiating with Concentrix for an early exit from the tax credits contract due to run until May 2017.

This quickie divorce story must be true because financial secretary to the Treasury Jane Ellison told MPs during a three-hour House of Commons debate on 26 October.

However, call me a cynic, but I guarantee that if the contract is terminated earlier than May then the hapless taxpayer will be screwed for large penalty clauses etc payable to Concentrix.

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Wednesday, 26 October 2016

Concentrix - The Story That Just Keeps On Giving



Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Tuesday, 18 October 2016

HMRC and Concentrix Pass The Buck


Unsurprisingly the buck passing by both HMRC and Concentrix, over the tax credits fiasco, has not amused the Work and Pensions Committee.

As per CCH Daily the committee said it will write to both HMRC and Concentrix asking for ‘urgent information’ on how the outsourcer’s performance of Concentrix was monitored by HMRC and the levels of staffing and training at Concentrix.

It said there had been ‘repeated buck-passing’ between Concentrix and HMRC as to who was responsible for failure to assess claims correctly when carrying out fraud checks.

In addition, the committee wants details of the steps HMRC will take to compensate claimants, to ensure they are not further disadvantaged, and its plans to review decisions taken by Concentrix. It is seeking an assurance that Concentrix will not be compensated for HMRC taking much of their responsibilities back in-house. The committee also plans to issue a report into the scandal.

Well then, let's see what crawls from beneath the stones that the WPC aim to kick over!

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Friday, 14 October 2016

The Victims of Concentrix and HMRC


As per The Mirror:

A disabled single mum fought back tears today as she told MPs of her treatment at the hands of shamed tax credits firm Concentrix.

Sarah Broome, 30, was told to ask for her benefits back in a hand-written letter - despite the fact she has one hand and suffers chronic pain and carpal tunnel syndrome.

The mum-of-two told MPs her tax credits were stopped in August after she was "financially connected" to a person she had never heard of.

She spent 19 hours and 57 minutes on the phone to the US outsourcing firm in six weeks - including one day when she was blocked by an engaged tone 70 times.

Eventually she got through to an advisor but was told she could not send a letter using a dictation service.
Ms Broome told MPs: "I said 'I can't write because my hand shakes. How do you expect me to write this letter by hand?'

"They told me 'well, you are just going to have to get someone else to write it for you'. They were the exact words.

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Monday, 3 October 2016

Ex Concentrix Employee Blames Poor HMRC Systems


An ex Concentrix employee, who was made redundant last week, told the Belfast Telegraph it had been "tough and stressful" for the workforce since the news broke that the contract would not be renewed in 2017.

The Government said Concentrix had "not been providing the high levels of customer service that the public expect and which are required in their contract".
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However, the ex employee disagrees:

"I don't agree that it was Concentrix's fault. It's the HMRC's systems - everything needs updated.

They need systems to be able to take on information much quicker.

It takes up to 48 hours. The staff are trained in exactly what they have to do. We worked on behalf of HMRC carrying out compliance checks. Sometimes you would be on the phone, or off the phone working on cases."

The former employee claimed that once staff had dealt with and processed a case, as well as the massive delay, the systems used by the Government body were not up to scratch.
"After we were closing cases off... it then sits in a sort of limbo stage."
As ever, views and comments are welcome.

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Friday, 16 September 2016

Rewarding Failure


My thanks to a loyal reader who posted a link to an article in the Independent about Concentrix:
"Figures obtained by Labour MP Louise Haigh show that Concentrix is failing on 120 out of 1625 minimum performance indicators set out in the contract – yet has still already been paid £15.8m in commission.

With the contract only set to end in May 2017 the company will still reap tens of millions of pounds in payments from the three-year contract – despite a so-called “payment by results” system. The total contract pays a total of between £55m and £75m depending on performance indicators met."
This of course is not unique as HMRC enjoys rewarding failure, eg Lin Homer.

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Wednesday, 14 September 2016

HMRC Nixes Concentrix Contract

HMRC has decided not to renew its contract with Concentrix, the firm responsible for handling tax credit fraud.

Loyal readers will be aware that there have cock up's wrt how this area has been handled. Nonetheless Concentrix feel that HMRC's decision reflects badly on Concentrix's reputation.

That aside the contract runs until May 2017.

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Friday, 9 October 2015

Are HMRC and Concentrix Breaching Data Protection Rules?


On Wednesday I wrote about the ongoing travails of Debbie Balandis wrt HMRC accusing her of sleeping with a newsagent, her previous tenant and her landlord.

My thanks to a loyal reader for pointing out that this series of fuck ups by HMRC are courtesy of Concentirx, the US company paid for by UK taxpayers to do what HMRC used to do wrt checking taxpayer details and chasing debts.

As the Independent reported in February 2015, Concentirx has form wrt being crap at what it does:
"Thousands of people on low incomes are being sent letters by an American outsourcing company accusing them of cheating on their tax credits and warning them that they may have their benefits stopped.

Concentrix, part of a multi-billion pound US business services company, has been accused of going on a vast “fishing expedition” as part of a controversial contract with HM Revenue and Customs to outsource its fraud and error detection.

Staff working at Concentrix have told The Independent that they are under pressure to open between 40 and 50 new tax-credit investigations every day and often don’t have time to check whether the allegations they are making stack up."
Aside from the complete incompetence and waste of money, there is another rather pertinent issue.

How is it confidential taxpayer details are being passed on to a US third party, and how is it that a US company is allowed to go trawling through people's bank accounts, tenancy agreements, credit card etc etc?

This is surely a breach of the laws covering confidentiality and data protection?

Do our "respected" MP's not a give a flying fuck about the rule of law anymore?

Why is HMRC allowed to pass on confidential details to an incompetent US company, and why is that company allowed to breach data protection and confidentiality rules?

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Wednesday, 4 March 2015

Guilty Until Proven Innocent - Concentrix Makes Up For Lost Time

On Sunday I noted that Accountancy Age, on the very same day as my article about Dearnley, wrote about outsourced tax credit Concentrix staff in Belfast being paid millions (approx £72M) to do nothing for three months as a result of a systemic HMRC IT failure.

Concentrix were tasked with checking up on erroneous or fraudulent UK working tax credit payments.

Clearly worried over the time wasted, Concentrix are now applying themselves with gusto to the task and have gone for a spot of fishing. As per the Independent:
"When Mary Folwell got a letter from HM Revenue & Customs last month, she put it to one side assuming it was just a standard reminder that her tax credits would be renewed.
When she got round to opening it, she had a shock. It was actually from an HMRC-appointed agency named Concentrix – and it accused her of living with someone and threatened that unless she could prove otherwise, her tax credits would be stopped within 30 days.

"It said they had evidence to suggest that I was living with someone, which sent me off into panic mode," Mary, a 55-year- old pre-school teacher in Bristol, told me. "I separated from my husband two years earlier and had moved into a small flat on my own. There really has never been anyone else here."

The letter threatened that if Concentrix did not hear from her by 24 February, "we will stop your tax credit". "I only get £15 a week," explained Mary – "which may not seem much but it's crucial to my budget. If I lost that money, I would really struggle."

She's not alone. Tens of thousands of people – mainly single mothers, it seems – have been targeted with similarly bullying letters. The letters are not only frightening, but their demands are needlessly onerous. In short they demand that people supply almost all their personal details to prove some spurious suspicions that HMRC may have. Failure to do so within a couple of weeks means losing out on essential cash for which they are eligible."
This is corroborated by a loyal reader, who commented yesterday regarding postal delays:
"......and better.......have heard that working tax credit disputed overpayments post is so far behind that they are starting to send out "shortened" response letters not explaining anything but just telling the taxpayer to pay up.

Quality customer service !!
"
Low hanging fruit are the easiest to pick, especially when using the tactic of guilty until proven innocent!


Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

Insurance to protect you against the cost of enquiry or dispute with HMRC is available from several sources including Solar Tax Investigation Insurance.

Ken Frost has negotiated a 10% discount on any polices that may suit your needs.

However, neither Ken Frost nor HMRCISSHITE either endorses or recommends their services.

What is Solar Tax Investigation Insurance?

Solar Tax Investigation Insurance 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 Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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"

Sunday, 1 March 2015

Three Year Managers For Ten Year Projects - Dearnley's Binary Revolution


My thanks to the loyal reader who penned this most excellent analysis about Dearnley and the "binary revolution" in HMRC:
"Dearnley is a probably being economical with the actualité like so many members of HMRC’s Ex Com.

The constant shouting of the word 'Digital' to describe their IT strategy should immediately ring alarm bells since by their very nature all the Departments computers have been digital (ie using binary compiled code) since the date the Inland Revenue bought their very first LEO machine second hand from Joe Lyons in the 1960s. As a consequence the Revenue could claim to have digitised most of its work decades ago. It would be nice to see such obvious bullshit occasionally challenged at places like PAC.


More seriously, while Dearnley frequently likes to boast about his speedy roll out of Windows 7 to all HMRC desktops he negelects to mention that in the process it has broken loads of applications, created many problems and generated thousands of lost man hours of work

With regard to the problem of 'legacy' systems Dearnley seems to fail to understand or deliberately ignores the basic issue that all IT applications fall into that category the moment they hit the live metal and start running in anger. It does not matter whether they are 5 minutes old or 5 years old they all have to be maintained and they all face the issue that the software and hardware on which they were designed and run is sooner or later out of date. Moreover, political events and changes to legislation will mean the functionality is going to have to be constantly updated and enhanced.

It is certainly true that HMRC over the years has wound up with a huge IT estate running a wide range of different platforms, operating systems and applications. However, the people largely responsible for that situation are not the Revenues IT suppliers but the Board of HMRC itself, including individual like Dearnley and Pavitt who have constantly changed the core IT strategy. For example, a few years ago the mantra coming out of Ex Com was that HMRC was to buy not build its software so they invested massively in various proprietary COTS packages, many of which were costly and often incompatible with the Revenues needs so had to be expensively customised. Now the pendulum has swung completely the opposite way and HMRC now are betting the whole shooting match on Open Source systems and bespoke applications written in house. That punt may come off but it is a very high risk strategy particularly as much of the software being used is largely untried and unproven for running major government systems and the in house HMRC 'Digital' Teams in Newcastle and elsewhere have no experience of delivering and supporting systems on that scale. In addition, there is the very real worry that Dearnley appears to be funding his ambitions by stripping out investment in maintaining and supporting the existing legacy estate which still runs 99% of HMRC systems. If his grand schemes come to nothing then the Revenue could end up with the worst of all worlds with new systems not fit for purpose and old applications needing costly large scale upgrades to keep them running.

The suspicion is that Dearnley who spent a mere three years at Vodafone before cutting and running to HMRC in 2013 will do exactly the same thing to the Revenue when his contract expires in 2016. Unfortunately, by then HMRC may find its IT has been well and truly scuppered.
"
Ironically Accountancy Age, on the very same day as my article about Dearnley, wrote about outsourced tax credit Concentrix staff in Belfast being paid millions (approx £72M) to do nothing for three months as a result of a systemic HMRC IT failure.

Let us trust that Dearnley (if he is actually competent) doesn't regard this as merely a two/three year stepping stone role on his career path.

Tax does have to be taxing.

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