The Apprentice

HMRC has launched its first digital apprenticeship programme as part of the government-led Tech Industry Gold Apprenticeship scheme.

HMRC is offering 15 four-year apprenticeships to students interested in training as software developers and studying at the same time as earning a wage.

There apprenticeships are at HMRC’s Newcastle upon Tyne-based Digital Delivery Centre, where the candidates will be paid £23,367 in addition to studying for a degree.

Partnering with Northumbria University, apprentices will study for a BSc (Hons) digital and technology solution degree, funded by HMRC. Apprentices will receive day release to lectures, a study leave allowance and access to senior leaders from the HMRC team to act as mentors.

Computer Weekly quoites Peter Schofield, director of IT development, test and operations at HMRC:

“The Newcastle Digital Delivery Centre was set up last year. There is a scrum team and agile teams there, and the apprenticeship aims to find new talented staff. 

HMRC has one of the largest IT estates in the UK and we have plans to further digitalise the business. Apprentices will learn how to make digital services for the public simpler, clearer and faster for them to keep up to date with their taxes and changes in circumstances.

We are looking forward to how it goes and to finding other ways to drive the Tech Industry Gold Apprenticeship programme further.”

The chosen 15 will learn how to build web and mobile products, implement application programming interfaces for internal and external use, and build automated test suites to support a continuous deployment environment.

Schofield wants "girls" to apply:

“The HMRC IT team has 45% females and we strongly encourage girls to apply for this apprenticeship.

We have a clear message of the benefits that the HMRC can offer, what we do digitally and how we can change things, so it is proving not too difficult to interest female candidates with our clear problem solving message.” 

Applications are open to all those aged 16 and over, and will close 7 August 2015.

Candidates wishing to apply should submit a copy of their achieved – or predicted – academic qualifications and CV, along with a 750-word personal statement outlining:
• What has attracted you to the role?
• Why do you want to work for HMRC?
• What are your aspirations in relation to the role and your future career?

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's Brave New Digital Future

In the event that anyone really cares anymore, given that nothing is ever done to improve things at HMRC, HMRC's recent accounts included data showing that HMRC handled 72.5% of the 65m customer calls it received last year.

This is a significant drop in performance from 79% in 2013-15.

Post handling was not exactly stellar either, 70% of the 15m postal items received were processed within 15 working days - down from 83% in 2013-14.

Homer is quoted by AccountingWeb:

“Our customer service levels slipped this year, but the work we are already doing on digitising our services, using real-time information, and creating online tax accounts for individuals and businesses will help us improve customer service as well as improve voluntary compliance.

Our plans to invest in our people’s skills, data and technology, and new powers announced by the Chancellor will further help us to meet the revenue and efficiency challenges in the Summer Budget.”

Digitisation will solve everything, won't it????

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's Box Ticking Unlawful

It seems that the requirement by HMRC for people to tick the terms and conditions box of the government gateway, before submitting tax returns, is unlawful.

As per an appeal against a fine levied by HMRC, as summarised by BAILII:

Neil Garrod, the appellant, is a barrister in practice.  He is required to submit VAT returns.  He failed to submit an electronic VAT return by the due date for the VAT quarter 06/12, but did submit it by paper.  This led to correspondence with HMRC but he continued to refuse to make online returns making paper returns instead.  Ultimately HMRC imposed a penalty of £100 on him 16 July 2013 for failure to make an online return in the period 03/13.

Mr Garrod requested a review of the penalty; one was carried out but upheld the issue of the penalty. This appeal is against that review decision dated 6 January 2014.

Mr Garrod is prepared to use the internet to submit his returns online; what he would not do was to submit his return online because he was unable to do so without signing up to the ‘Government Gateway’ which required him (electronically) to tick a box stating that he had read HMRC’s terms and conditions for online filing.

He objected to any terms and conditions being imposed.  He also objected to the quantity of them:  he said they would be burdensome to read.

The appeal was allowed.

For why?

HMRC "seeking to impose the tick the box pre-condition was in these circumstances unlawful.  As the failure to tick the box was the cause of Mr Garrod’s failure to file online, it seems to me that under Winder, Boddington etc, the penalty was not lawfully imposed and must be discharged".

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 Moves To Direct Debit

HMRC has announced that it will move to mandatory direct debit for agreed time to pay arrangements as from 3 August.

Seemingly, only in exceptional circumstances will taxpayers be allowed to pay by any other method.

As per economia, agreed time to pay arrangements are set up under HMRC’s discretionary powers to allow payment of a debt by instalments after the due date, where the taxpayer is genuinely unable to pay by the due date but can commit to agreed payments to sort their tax position out.

HMRC's move to direct debit by default because it is more cost effective and more secure than other payment methods, and ensures that payments are more accurately allocated.

It removes the chance that the taxpayer forgets to make payments.

It also reduces the need for subsequent taxpayer contact, saving time for both parties.

Let us trust that nothing goes wrong with this!


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 Trawls The Net

As I have noted several times before on this site, HMRC are keen to identify people who are trading (goods and services) on the internet but not declaring their profits.

As such it should come as no surprise to learn that HMRC intend to up their game wrt collecting data on who is trading but not declaring that they are trading. HMRC are of the view that the hidden economy of internet trading could be worth £5.9BN in uncollected tax each year.

HMRC has launched a consultation on extending its powers to collect extra data from firms and individuals.

"Data can be particularly powerful when it is collected from third parties who facilitate trade, either between businesses, or between businesses and consumers.

This is because they can provide information in bulk about the activity of large numbers of traders, and because third party data can be used as an independent check against the data that taxpayers themselves report to HMRC."

The extended powers would affect businesses acting as intermediaries or providing electronic payment services.

"It is important that the data - gathering powers are proportionate. This means that the administrative burden placed on the intermediary business when preparing and providing the data must be commensurate with the benefit from using the information obtained. HMRC expect that in the scenarios described in this consultation document the administrative burden will be relatively small. HMRC would provide guidance and give support to ease the process."

In theory whatever happens in the future, wrt new payment methods will be covered by the legislation:

"HMRC propose s that the legislation is “future - proofed” so similar data can be requested from new business models as they emerge."

Theoretically HMRC will not target individuals who sell personal possessions, only businesses that fail to pay tax owed.

Those who were tax compliant "should see little or no impact".

The consultation runs until 14 October.

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"

Yields Disappoint

It seems that HMRC has thus far only collected around £13.9M from secret bank accounts in the Crown Dependencies.

The Treasury expectations had been much higher, £320M by now, with a long term expectation of around £1BN.

The FT reports that just over 400 people have so far come forward to own up to previously undeclared accounts in the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey. They used a ‘disclosure facility’ that offered reduced penalties to former tax evaders.

Fiona Fernie of Pinsent Masons said that taxpayers with large amounts of unpaid tax were likely to be making use of another tax amnesty, known as the Liechtenstein disclosure facility (LDF), which offered better terms and immunity from prosecution. 

The LDF had raised just under £1.1bn from 5819 disclosures by the end of March.

Ms Fernie said another possible explanation of the low yield was that the scale of tax evasion across the Crown Dependencies was not as extensive as many assumed.

“There is likely to be some non-compliance, but more often than not it will be technical in nature — or based on simple mistakes rather than non-legitimate structures.”

Maybe not quite so many people aren't quite as dishonest as HMRC and the Treasury had hoped for?

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"

NHS Tax Errors

My thanks to a loyal reader who dropped me the following note about apparent errors in tax calculations for NHS staff:

"Are you aware that HMRC is issuing tax calculations (and in some cases making substantial repayments) to NHS staff that the Department knows are incorrect?

Just spoken to a manager about a client and he admitted that HMRC has picked up the wrong end of year figures. They have picked up the "bank" figures that in many cases will be zero and over-ridden the actual pay and tax details.

HMRC totally unconcerned. They refused to write to taxpayers who may have been impacted. They could give no idea when the calculations are likely to be amended and were too uncaring, or just plain stupid, not to understand the worry and stress that could be caused to potentially thousands of NHS workers when at some point down the line they are going to be asked to repay thousands of pounds.

I asked the manager why there was nothing on HMRC's website - on the home page - flagging up that they had made a really bad mistake. The manager replied "Oh, I don't think the Department would be wanting to do that"!"

Can anyone provide any more details on this please?

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"

What's App?

Putting its faith firmly in a 100% digital future, HMRC is encouraging taxpayers to use its new messaging service (similar to WhatsApp) to raise queries.

Let's see how this works out then!

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's Dismal Performance

HMRC has experienced a dismal decline in call handling performance, as per the ICAEW

Period	% Call attempts  handled	Call attempts made
Q/E 31 December 2013	89.0%	12,433,497
Q/E 31 March 2014	90.1%	14,688,539
Q/E 30 June 2014	76.2%	17,397,878
Q/E 30 September 2014	74.2%	18,833,412
Q/E 31 December 2014	72.5%	12,977,779
Q/E 31 March 2015	68.3%	15,573,678

Additionally, the number of calls being made over the period has increased.

Quite clearly, aside from the failure rate, the increase ion calls indicate that all is not well on the "good ship" HMRC.

As Elaine Clark notes, in Q1 2015 5 million calls went unanswered. She also goes on to note that the reasons for these calls need to be identified, in the hope that the root causes of people's queries/problems can be addressed.

This is a state of affairs that cannot be allowed to continue.

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 Loses a Customer

A particularly rude opening letter from HMRC - and wrong because tax paid weeks ago. Well they just lost a customer. pic.twitter.com/kqXqtkSAOd

— Ken Tindell (@kentindell) July 18, 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"

Martin Wheatley To Go

On Monday I noted that there was a rumour doing the rounds that Lin Homer would be taking over the role of CEO of the Financial Conduct Authority (currently held by Martin Wheatley).

Half the rumour has been proven correct. Martin Wheatley will step down in September, with supervision boss Tracey McDermott stepping in as interim chief.

As to whether Homer takes over, that looks less likely given that (as per the Telegraph) Osborne has said:

"The government is launching a worldwide search; Martin’s replacement will – like him – need to be passionate about protecting consumers, promoting competition and completing the job of cleaning up the City, so it is the best-regulated market in the world."

That rather rules out Homer I would have thought!

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"

Spurious HMRC Fine

A loyal reader has written to me about a problem that she is having with HMRC, wrt her tax return and a seemingly spurious fine of £600.

She has given me permission to post her letter on this site:

"Hi, I thought it appropriate to let you know about my experience, as it may be happening to many others.

I completed my tax return late - on 1st May. Granted although I didn't earn enough to pay any tax, I copped for the 100 penalty. However, I did submit my tax return and got a long receipt number, which I wrote down manually.

I was very concerned when I got a letter a few week later to say that my tax return had still not been received. I have been unable to get through on their telephone system as I was kept hanging on for age, with no indication how long it would take to get through. I therefore wrote to HMRC to state that I had indeed submitted my return, the time and date and I provided them with my receipt number. I asked them to explain why my return was not on their system and to advise me what to do, as I would prefer not to complete it again.

Several weeks later they have not acknowledged my letter and are now trying to charge me £600! If they had responded to my letter and advised that my return could not be found on their system I could at least have re-done my return at a much earlier stage. Now I am panicking, as I don\'t have that kind of money and this penalty is not warranted by any means.

I would be interested to know if there are many other people facing this predicament."

Has anyone else experienced a similar problem 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"

HMRC Shows Mercy

There has been much criticism of HMRC for its perceived/alleged "lenient" stance towards some large corporations wrt tax deals negotiated etc etc.

Disregarding the fairness or otherwise of those criticisms, HMRC does also show some mercy towards organisations that are not mega corporations.

Kids Company, the charity, apparently neglected to pay National Insurance of around £700K in 2003.

Laurence Guinness, director of communications at Kids Company, is quoted by the Third Sector saying that the charity had:

"experienced a delay in making National Insurance payments to HMRC as resources were focused on meeting the immediate needs of a high number of vulnerable children with complex needs who were not receiving statutory support".

Taking pity, HMRC has now waived almost £600K of that debt.


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"

Homer To Head The FCA?

My thanks to a loyal reader who has alerted me to the rumour that is currently doing the rounds, wrt Lin Homer.

It seems her time in HMRC may soon be coming to and end.

Apparently she will be taking over the role of CEO of the Financial Conduct Authority (currently held by Martin Wheatley).

As to whether this is a promotion for Homer, or simply a side step to take her out of HMRC, I have no idea.

Regarding Wheatley, well it seems he has lost the support of the politicians. As per This is Money:

"Wheatley has lost the support of senior politicians who believe the regulator has failed to protect small firms mis-sold risky insurance by banks. Critics say the FCA has also lost credibility following a bungled leak of market sensitive information about an insurance industry probe last year. 

 One Westminister insider told the Mail: ‘There are serious doubts about Martin Wheatley across the piste – including from inside the Treasury. There is currently a massive row over whether he should remain in his post.’

As noted, Homer's appointment is but a "rumour", this may be complete BS!

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 Given Powers To Raid Bank Accounts

Wednesday's Budget announcement by Osborne failed to mention that HMRC will be given powers to raid bank accounts and ISAs of people who are recalcitrant with paying their taxes.

As per P94 of the Budget, quoted by This Is Money:

"This government will introduce legislation to modernise and strengthen HMRC's powers to recover tax and tax credit debts directly from debtors' bank and building society accounts, including funds held in cash Isas. 

Having widely consulted, this measure will be subject to robust safeguards including a county court appeal process and a face-to-face visit to every debtor before they are considered for debt recovery through this measure."

Let us trust that HMRC never makes any mistakes when taking a dip!


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"

Osborne's £750M Investment In HMRC

In yesterday's Budget, George Osborne announced a £750M "investment" in HMRC.

The chancellor said the money will be used to 'go after offshore trusts' and will triple the number of evaders HMRC pursues for prosecution.

Question, is this extra money or merely a reallocation of monies from within HMRC's current budget?

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"

Gauke Speaks

.@DavidGauke: HMRC has clear vision and is moving towards a cost effective, modern, improved service #ICAEW_Budget pic.twitter.com/uLpBBFqMtB

— ICAEW (@ICAEW) July 9, 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"

The Budget Live

#budget2015 Tweets

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 To Merge Key Teams

Accountancy Age reports that HMRC will merge its specialist investigations and criminal investigations teams, in order to target serious tax crime more effectively.

HMRC stated that the merger will allow it to "better share expertise and knowledge" and be "more effective in tackling the most serious tax crime."

It said the decision "is not about reducing staff or saving money" and that it doesn't anticipate any major costs associated with the change.

Fair enough!

So then, how many staff will be made redundant and what are the anticipated savings?

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"

The Government's Faith In IT

The FT has received a copy of an internal HMRC memo, issued by Lin Homer last month, that warns about the future round of cuts needed to meet the £80M reduction set by the government.

Homer says:

“There will inevitably be impacts on what we will be able to achieve and there is little prospect that we can absorb these cuts without some business impacts...

It is disappointing to be required to make cuts at a time when we are delivering a transformation programme to modernise HMRC, improve services to customers and increase our compliance yield."

Faith (if that's the right word) is being placed by the Treasury and government in HMRC's digital "transformation".

Good luck with that then!

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

My sympathies to Keith M Gordon wrt his phone call to HMRC:

@hmrcgovuk Put in a CT600 on 7/4/15 expecting a repayment. Called on 8/6/15.Told that repayment had been overlooked would take 3 more wks.

— Keith M Gordon (@keithmgordon) July 1, 2015

@HMRCgovuk The phone now shows 24 minutes. And it gets answered.

— Keith M Gordon (@keithmgordon) July 1, 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"

ICAEW Calls For 10 Year Review of HMRC

The ICAEW is calling for a ten year root and branch review of HMRC, to cover its service standards, culture and governance structure.

While opening the Wyman Symposium discussion yesterday, Carl Bayley, Chairman of ICAEW Tax Faculty, is quoted by Accounting Web:

“We are calling this review as friends of HMRC, because it is in everyone’s interests that the organisation works as well as it should”. 

Ten years!

Has the ICAEW lost its collective marbles?

1 HMRC won't survive 10 more years, unless something is done now!

2 What kind of review takes 10 years?

This suggestion is absurd to say the least!

UPDATE

As per the comment from the ICAEW below, the 10 year review is in fact meant to mean a review on the 10th anniversary of HMRC's creation.

Mea culpa I, and many others, misinterpreted that.

However, I would wonder why only now people are asking for HMRC to be reviewed (shutting the stable door springs to mind)?


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"

Welsh Only

Am told by @aeon456 the @HMRCgovuk line for Welsh speakers 0300 200 1900 is answered quickly but only deal with query if you speak Welsh!

— Paul Lewis (@paullewismoney) June 30, 2015

Given how strapped for resources HMRC is, would it not be helpful if this helpline allowed people to speak English as well?

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"