Friday 30 September 2011

Dual Standards


The FT reports that Mike Fleming (partner at Straughans Chartered Accountants and Tax Advisers), an ex HMRC tax investigator no less, is a tad unimpressed with his old employer.

For why?

The  recent HMRC cock up, caused by a paper shortage, that mean that half a million people had to be given an extended deadline 29 September to make their second instalment (D2) of the annual tax payment.

Mr Fleming notes that the 9M other UK residents who complete a tax return, who have not been given this extended deadline, will not enjoy the advantage of being able to accrue extra interest on their bank accounts


Mr Fleming, further puts the boot in to his old employers, and noted that not only does this create "an unfair dual standard", it also raises questions about the competency of HMRC, reflecting "widespread" systems and administrative problems at the agency.

Quite!
Tax does have to be taxing.

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11 comments:

  1. I agree he has a point with the incompetence angle. Interest earned over 2 months and a dual system? Mountains and mole hills spring to mind. I think it's a stretch personally.

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  2. ...and you should see the huge piles of uncollected and spoiled paper around every HMRC printer at the end of the day. It's not a paper shortage, it's mis-management and laziness coupled with poor training.

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  3. Does he not realise that Frank Spencer is in charge at HMRC.

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  4. HMRC have just apointed a new Director of Debt Management & Banking - an ex Barclays Banker. He starts on Monday.

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  5. They are starting to scan all incoming post via the 'new' caseflow system so that offices are not bogged down with post and they can get rid of admin assistants the problem is when the post comes most staff print it off because the IT systems are so out of date you cannot have two screens open at once to compare data with information provided in letters. The result is twice as much paper is now used.

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  6. Went to an ex-colleague's retirement do yesterday. Listened to other ex-colleagues on subject of caseflow and other departmental lunacies. Listen up folks, they're bringing in Standard Operating Procedures, so that everything will be dealt with on a one size fits all basis, regardless of the individual circumstances! Thank you Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus that I'm out of this hell-hole.

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  7. "an ex Barclays Banker. He starts on Monday".

    The place just got Shittier.

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  8. "HMRC have just apointed a new Director of Debt Management & Banking - an ex Barclays Banker. He starts on Monday."

    Should fit in quite well, Barclays was built up around the slave trade.

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  9. What is going on in this dysfunctional organisation called HMRC?
    It appears to be using more paper than ever despite £Bns on IT, its managers don't appear to have a grip on reality and the staff are at rock bottom with motivation, job satisfaction and health.
    A Barclays banker eh? Wonder what their ethical polices don't incorporate. Not sure how that will improve things in DMB given the way the banking system has behaved in recent times.

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  10. Not enough paper, questions about competancy from all directions - not just the staff, widespread systems and administrative problems - Treasury Select Committee report.

    I met a "Pacesetter Practitioner" the other day, s/he is so disgruntled as to be weighing up the pro's and con's of leaving rather than stay in what s/he termed a lunatic asylum. Now I am not a supporter of Pacesetter but I know a good manager when I see one and this one ain't too bad in comparison to most as s/he tries hard to support the staff and not promulgate the Stalinist party line that is HMRC management.
    If HMRC are about to lose management of the calibre of this individual they are well and truly down the tubes and the future is not rosy out their.
    Where next, 13000 staff losses in a compressed timescale because they can't get to grips with reality will merely be the start of the next round of "privatisation", think not? Be patient, you will see.
    Is there an alternative?
    Unfortunately no, the pblic never wakes up until the anthem has finished and the final curtain has dropped.
    Keep telling it as it is please Ken.

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  11. But HMRC has a green policy, people must be mistaken about the waste paper surely?
    Well there is more than one site where there are pretty big shredders dotted about but they still have to have mobile shredding facilities visiting, HGV's with generators to power the industrial shredding machinery operated by 3rd parties.
    What do you mean that concerns you? They are trusted partners just like the disc carriers!
    How much does HMRC spend on paper, disposal, shredding, directly or via 3rd party contractor, have not got a clue, but then again, who cares?

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