HMRC Trebles Fines For "Deliberate" Errors

Baker Tilly has identified that HMRC has trebled the number of penalties issued for ‘deliberate’ as opposed to ‘careless’ mistakes on self-assessment returns.

The number of penalties imposed for ‘deliberate’ rather than ‘careless’ inaccuracies in tax returns has risen to 14,401 (up from 5,162 in 2012-13).

Mike Down, Baker Tilly’s head of tax investigations, is quoted by Contractor UK:

"The taxman is getting much tougher on people who are under-declaring their income in their tax returns.”

Thus creating a nice little earner for the government.

Tax does have to be taxing.

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

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HMRC Email Mistaken For Scam

An email from HMRC, that is actually genuine, has caused confusion as it has been mistaken by some as being a scam.

The email about the new marriage allowance (signed by Ruth Owen, HMRC’s director general for personal tax) is supposed to help people claim the allowance.

It warned that taxpayers would need to have personal details ­confirmed, and that this may have to be done with a credit card or ­mortgage details.

However, because there are numerous fake emails purporting to be from HMRC, and because this email mentioned credit cards many people simply assumed that it was a scam.


Colin Willetts is quoted by This Is Money:

"The suggestion I’d need a photo ID and details of recent credit card and mortgage payments rang oddly, as my wife and I have neither — we’re both pensioners."

David Lawson, from Northampton, deleted it instantly:

‘The way it looked, with a picture of wedding rings, and its language talking of credit card details and even a photo ID really made it feel like a fake or phishing email."

It has been possible to register for the new allowance since February online. However, a helpline will also be launched later this year.

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"

Sorry You're Not Dead

Commiserations to Peter Moore, 47, who received a particularly puzzling letter from HMRC last week in which he was told that he was dead.

The letter was addressed to the "representative" of Peter William John Moore and apologised for the family's "recent bereavement". After offering sympathies "during this difficult time", HMRC then went on to demand unpaid tax.


A spokesman for HMRC is quoted by the Mirror:

"We don't talk about individual cases but when we make mistakes we aim to put them right fast and apologise."

The question remains, who has actually died and has his tax records muddled by HMRC with the living?

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"

Hanging on The Telephone

Oh c'mon @HMRCgovuk I have now been waiting for 26 mins 30 secs for you to answer phone....

— John Andrews (@jmalitrg) April 27, 2015

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"

HMRC Takes 54 Minutes To Answer The Phone

HMRC’s call handling rate has taken a turn for the worse, 37.9 % of calls were answered within its five minute target between July and September last year, compared with 42.4% during the same period in 2013.

The Sunday Mirror was told by insider that HMRC is in “meltdown” as it struggles to cope with a spike in phone calls and a huge backlog of unopened post; none of this will be a surprise to loyal readers.

However, to test response times the Sunday Mirror made 20 calls to HMRC's key helplines at various times throughout the day to see how long it took them to answer.

One call to its self assessment tax line took 54 minutes and 34 seconds to be answered. A second to the same helpline was cut off after five minutes and 51 seconds.

Another call to HMRC’s tax credit helpline was finally answered after 45 minutes and 40 seconds while the helpline handling self-employment income tax inquiries took 35 minutes and eight seconds.

As noted, none of this will come as a surprise to loyal readers.

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"

HMRC Debt Collection Spend Halves

Insolvency News reports that HMRC has halved its spend on debt collection agencies (DCAs) during the past year, with £6.8m spent on them in 2014 compared to £14.8m in 2013.

Does this mean that there are less debts to chase, or that HMRC are taking some of the debt collection work back in house?

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"