Tax Deadline Day - The Longest Day

Happy Tax Deadline Day everyone!

Make sure that you submit your tax returns digitally before midnight, or else you will be fined.

Today, for some of you, will be the longest day!

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"

It's Official - Woman Are More Tardy With Their Tax Returns

Men more likely to file tax return on time than female counterparts according to HMRC study https://t.co/19SRZVXeHR pic.twitter.com/27rb6y3SGX

— TaxAssist Accountant (@TaxAssistUK) January 28, 2016

Those of you who disagree, please raise your concerns with HMRC.

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 Confidentiality of Tax Data In Google's Servers

A loyal reader suggested yesterday, given HMRC's use of Google's apps and offshore data centres, that people have a look at the Google for Work Security and Compliance Whitepaper.

I have had a wee looksey, and a few things spring to my mind:

1 I note that "if customers delete their data, we commit to deleting it from our systems within 180 days". That means "deleted" tax data may sit within Google's servers for up to 180 days after "deletion".

2 Whilst Google claims not to scan data for placing adverts, "Google indexes customer data to provide beneficial services". To my simple mind, that sounds a bit like scanning data to me.

3 Regarding confidentiality, it seems that Google staff can see HMRC data; "only a small group of Google employees have access to customer data."

4 Tax data appears to be open to access via government requests (with or without HMRC's, or indeed HMG's, permission), "Google may receive direct requests from governments and courts around the world about how a person has used the company’s services".

5 Google may also engage third party suppliers.

It doesn't seem so confidential to me. However, these are just my thoughts, please feel free to add your own.

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 Special Relationship With Google

As the media, the politicians and the taxpayers of Britain work themselves into a frenzy over Google's £130M deal with HMRC; let us not forget that HMRC has a special symbiotic relationship with Google.

As a loyal reader reminded us all today, HMRC was the first major government department to move to Google Apps as reported by The Register in June 2015.

David Fitton, head of public sector sales for Google UK, wrote on Linkedin at the time:

"The acceptance by HMRC that they can store OFFICIAL information offshore in Google data-centres represents a major change and endorsement of Google's approach to managing sensitive information."

The key thing there is that the data is stored in offshore data-centres.

Therefore, when people moan about Google's offshore tax arrangements, let us not forget that HMRC love a bit of offshoring too (as indeed does their estate management company Mapeley)!

That's what's known as a "special relationship".

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"

PAC To Question HMRC's Google Deal

HMRC’s deal with Google, where Google will pay £130m to cover back taxes from 2005, has been called ‘derisory’.

The Public Accounts Committee has called for HMRC to be more robust in challenging mass marketed avoidance schemes, and has urged the government to regulate tax advisers with punitive financial sanctions

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, George Osborne was pleased with the deal. As per Accountancy LIVE:

"This is a major success of our tax policy. We’ve got Google to pay taxes and I think that is a huge step forward and addresses that perfectly legitimate public anger that large corporations have not been paying tax. I think it’s a big step forward and a victory for the government."

In a statement Google said:

"We have agreed with HMRC a new approach for our UK taxes and will pay £130m, covering taxes since 2005. We will now pay tax based on revenue from UK-based advertisers, which reflects the size and scope of our UK business.

The way multinational companies are taxed has been debated for many years and the international tax system is changing as a result. This settlement reflects that shift and is in line with recent OECD guidance."

However, Meg Hillier, chair of PAC has indicated via Twitter, that MPs will be looking into the issue.

Bet individual taxpayers wouldn't get off as lightly as Google on back tax. Cosy deal. Will call HMRC and Google to @CommonsPAC to explain.

— MegHillierMP (@Meg_HillierMP) January 23, 2016

Tax barrister Jolyon Maugham, QC, said the latest agreement with HMRC appeared not to have challenged the issue of whether Google has a UK permanent establishment, which would have a substantial impact on its tax position.

"There are reports that the French tax authorities are going to test the question for France. I can’t understand why HMRC isn’t going to ask our courts to decide that question for us."

This is an issue that will run and run.


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"

Steve Lewis - The People's Taxman

My thanks to a loyal reader, who pointed me to this petition set up by Steve Lewis of Crickhowell, who wishes to be considered for the role of CEO HMRC.

I'm Steve Lewis, a former Army Officer and now a small business owner. I'm putting myself forward to be the next Chief Executive of the HMRC Board. It's about time that the Board, that is meant to scrutinise the way our Government enforce tax policy, stopped helping multinationals reduce their tax bills and started working for the British public and British small businesses to deliver fair tax for all - big and small.

I live in Crickhowell in Wales, with my wife Sam, and have run a local coffee shop for 11 years. It's a labour of love for us and a way of giving back to our community. We employ 12 great people, source all we can from local suppliers and pay our fair share of tax. We want to secure the future for our 6 children, and ensure our community flourishes.

The same can't be said for many multinationals. We've just taken part in the BBC2 Documentary: The Town that took on the Taxman and what I uncovered is that while I pay 20% of my coffee shop profits in tax many of the large coffee shop chains use legal loopholes to avoid tax or negotiate with HMRC to reduce their tax bill to 0%.

The playing field is not fair, it is not just and it damages our communities, but this month there is an opportunity to change it.

The Chief Executive of the HMRC Executive Board just stepped down. Instead of replacing her with a lifelong civil servant or someone cosy to big business - the Government should appoint someone who champions ordinary citizens and understands small businesses. That's why I'm putting myself forward and asking you to sign my petition and champion me as 'the people's taxman'.

I believe my 19 year military career, together with my 25 years of extensive corporate business experience, working with multinationals on ethical leadership, as well as running a small business in my community, puts me in a unique position to be a people's champion on the board of the HMRC.
I will have no fear or compromise in holding aggressive tax avoiders, tax abusers and tax bullies to account. Government officials rarely look outside for top jobs like this. So I'm going to need your help to convince them that the public want a new approach to fair tax. 

Sign this petition and help tell HMRC the public want someone to speak for small business owners and hard working taxpayers. 

Vote for the people's tax man!

Thank you!

www.fairtaxtown.com

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"

Crickhowell - The Town That Took On The Taxman

BBC2 21:00 20 January 2016

What do people really mean by “tax haven”? Right now you’re probably running through a list of places: the Cayman Islands, Jersey, Bermuda. The name probably not on the tip of your tongue is Crickhowell. However, if big corporations can take themselves “offshore” to protect their profits, why not a little Welsh town?

This TV-backed experiment is a smart breakdown of the schemes multinationals use to stack the deck against small businesses and national governments alike. Who knows, maybe after this we’ll all be looking up these tools of the tax trade – on Google, probably, which of course knows all of them already.

About this programme

Small businesses in Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons, South Wales take on a mission to copy the techniques used by multinational companies and set up a DIY tax avoidance scheme. Using complicated, but legal, accounting techniques, the UK's biggest organisations run rings around HMRC and pay little or no corporation tax. The programme follows the Welsh town's local traders as they visit tax havens, tax lawyers and even a taxman to see if they can level the playing field and legally avoiding paying tax. Presented by Heydon Prowse.

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's Career Summed Up In One Soundbite

“I’m not at all certain really.”

Source The Guardian.

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 U-Turn on Montpelier APNs

Whilst everyone has been focused on Homer's Damehood, HMRC has been forced into an embarrassing u-turn and has had to withdraw 2,000 Accelerated Payment Notices (APNs) demanding payment of disputed tax after admitting the demands should never have been issued.

APNs are used by HMRC to demand tax that it believes someone owes before the underlying dispute has been adjudicated on by an independent tribunal or court. Taxpayers then have 90 days to pay HMRC the tax demanded, but are not allowed to appeal the decision.

However, it seems that one of the conditions necessary for issuing an APN wrt those who participated in the the Montpelier IR 35 Manx Partnership arrangement was not satisfied.

HMRC originally issuing notices to taxpayers involved in the scheme in April 2015.
AccountancyAge reports that HMRC has now admitted that the APNs should not have been issued because although the arrangements were notified to HMRC, they were not 'notifiable' to HMRC, under the DOTAS regime.

As I noted in September 2015, APNs have been an utter shambles!

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"

Lin Homer So Deserves Her Damehood!

My thanks to a loyal reader, who penned me an email today concerning Homer's recent elevation to Damehood.

So annoyed at the elevation was he, that he wrote to his MP who then passed on the letter to the Honours and Appointments Secretariat which was replied to by a Team Leader of Honours Operations.

Here is an extract of the response:

"Honours nominations are considered by one of 9 honours committees, each chaired by and comprising a majority of independent members who are selected after open advertising. The chairs of the 9 honours committees then take their recommendations to the Main Honours Committee and agree the final list for submission through the PM, to the Queen.

The nomination for Lin Homer, like any other, was considered on merit by the relevant independent committee, in this case the State Committee. The Committees are particularly concerned to recognise those who have gone beyond their jobs and who put something back into society to their profession. 

This is particularly the case for candidates on the State Committee's list........

DAME COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF THE BATH Linda Margaret Homer CB Lin Homer has a track record in taking on some of the toughest and highest profile jobs in government. 

Having transformed Suffolk and Birmingham County Councils, she ran immigration and asylum services in the Home Office for more than five years. 

As Permanent Secretary of the Department for Transport, she guided the department through the highly complex HS2 consultations. 

Now Chief Executive of HM Revenue and Customs, she has met the department’s financial targets with fewer staff and improved staff engagement figures. She supports the Alzheimer’s Society, the Business Disability Forum and the Speakers for Schools initiative

I regret I am not able to comment further on individual awards. 

I can only offer my assurance that honours committee consider nominations very carefully before making their recommendations and expect to see individuals going beyond expectations in their contribution to their profession, community and/or public life."

I wonder if these people are living on the same planet as the rest of us?

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's Replacement

Clearly I am being thick, but could someone please tell me where to find the advert on the Gov website for Homer's replacement?

Thanks.

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's Pension Pot

As Lin Homer walks away with a £2.174million pension pot (lifetime allowances anyone?) we should not be too envious as, according to HMRC:

"Her pension is actuarially-reduced, because she is leaving before retirement age. She is receiving no severance compensation.”

Additionally, as and when she starts to look for work again after a summer break, she will try not to take a "revolving door" type role:

"I will be fully sensitive to the responsibility and care that senior HMRC officials should take when considering the appropriateness of potential roles and organisations."

That's fine then, because no other ex senior HMRC has ever taken up a "revolving door" role!

In the meantime, I did try to call her to congratulate her. Unfortunately there is at least a 45 minute waiting time on the lines, and were I to send her a congratulatory card it would not be opened until after she had left.

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 Step Down

BREAKING NEWS: Lin Homer to step down as HMRC CEO in April. pic.twitter.com/lUsS2c3A4J

— Fraser Simpson (@AccyAgeTax) January 11, 2016

As predicted on this site!

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's Number One

Dame Lin Homer is going from strength to strength, not only has she been made a dame but she is also number one in the AccountancyAge Financial Power List for 2016!

"The tax authority's chief executive already has cause to celebrate this year, having been awarded a Damehood in the New Year's honours list for her services to public finance.

However Homer's ability as CEO will certainly be put to the test this year, as HMRC embarks on its switch to personal online tax accounts. The reorganisation will result in the closure of 137 tax offices by 2027 as HMRC moves to a largely digital interface with taxpayers and the agents that act on behalf of businesses and individuals across the UK.

Given the government's and HMRC's history of botched IT projects the profession remains extremely sceptical of how successful the digitisation will prove."

Well 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"