Friday, 26 March 2010
Power Corrupts
As part of the government's ongoing politicisation of HMRC, and desire to use HMRC as a tool of social control, the recent Budget will give HMRC the power to intercept any suspicious mail anywhere in the country and open it before it is delivered.
The new powers (to be implemented via an amendment to the Postal Services Act) are coming in on the auspices of cracking down on tobacco smuggling. However, HMRC are already drooling and slavering over the prospects of being able to snoop and spy on people.
The Telegraph reports that an HMRC spokesman said that the powers would be applied much more widely.
HMRC inspectors currently must notify the addressee and agree a mutually acceptable time to open the letter or parcel, before deciding whether to take any enforcement action.
However, the new powers will allow HMRC to open "suspicious" post without asking permission first.
So who determines what is "suspicious" or not?
Ah, that would be HMRC.
Judge, jury and executioner rolled into one.
No dangers there then of corruption occurring, and the powers being misused!
Not!
This is one step further down the road towards dictatorship.
Tax does have to be taxing.
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Suspicious .... that would be letters from/to MP's, Banks, Accountants and LAWYERS in Switzerland, Panama, Lichtenstein, Jersey, Cayman's, Bahamas, Cook Islands, Delaware, Nevada, NYC, London, etc etc ... also the most suspicious of all ... HMRC letters delivered near the postmarked date....obviously too good to be true.
ReplyDeleteNow that crooks know about these HMRC powers, they will no doubt stop sending the evidence of their crimes through the post ... as if they ever would?
I just hope those "criminals" don't watch TV or movies and pick up the idea of using unregistered mobile phones ...and that new thing called email... using anonymous accounts. They could conspire to save themselves incurring a tax liability and HMRC wouldn't know anything about it.
Trevor Scott
A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Royal Mail has no powers to open the mail and in rare cases when an item of mail clearly poses a hazard to other mail and/or the safety of our people - for example, if a noxious chemical was spilling from a package - we would call in HMRC and, usually, the police."
ReplyDeleteNice to see the post office taking peoples safety seriously and calling in HMRC before anybody else when a noxious chemical is spilling from a package.
Useless bastards can't sort their own post never mind anyone else's.
ReplyDeleteHave you realied that HMRC don't only administer income and corporation tax? They are also responsible for catching smugglers....
ReplyDeleteTheir leaders are responsible for spreading vast amounts of bullshit also-so what.
ReplyDelete