According to the Evening Standard David Beckham’s knighthood was all-but-approved for the 2014 New Year’s Honours list until a last-minute intervention from HM Revenue & Customs.
HMRC reportedly put up a “red flag”, blocking the honour, on the grounds that the ex-England captain had been involved in a controversial form of lawful tax avoidance.
After that, Honours Committee officials reportedly entered into a dialogue with Mr Beckham’s advisers on how to “sort out” the issues raised by HMRC.
Two points cross my humble mind:
1 If the avoidance was lawful, what the fark was HMRC's problem?
2 Why was Beckham then given advice on how to sort out HMRC, when ordinary taxpayers are thrown to the wolves?
Tax does have to be taxing.
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Its disgusting that the HMRC denied David Beckham a knighthood. He's has done great work for the UK and for various charities globally. Aren't HMRC supposed to be objective? If tax planning is perfectly legal but HMRC's problem is they just don't like it, then surely they are behaving subjectively?
ReplyDeleteIt is their job as public servants to administer laws made by parliament. This was HMRC moralising again - we could all do that, some might call out HMRC for the way they treat small business and for the brutal bullying of their own staff which some cowards believe to be their perfect right. When will we get a tax department which is professional and acts with integrity?
Dear Anonymous7 February 2017 at 13:33
DeleteAre you getting treatment for your neurosis?
HMRC staff (ex-staff), brown-nosing, yes people, commenting on here??
DeleteShill alert...
ReplyDeleteBack on topic.
Correct my assumptions if wrong;
1. An incompetant female "public servant" with a track record (Sic) of spectacular failings from Birmingham through a variety of top public sector offices gets a gong?
2. Another female who held high office withing local government and then the Political sector gets a gong (with questions about alleged tax planning/avoidance/structuring?
3. A well respected male footballer with WORLDWIDE appeal geets shafted?
WTF is going on with our awards system, is it totally corrrupt and broke?
I think Sir David might have been investing in the Ingenuous scheme. That's the lawful investment scheme which defeated HMRC at the Supreme Court I understand. The same case where the judge criticised HMRC for their law breaking.
ReplyDeleteWas the Homer person still 'in charge' of HMRC back in 2014?
If correct then WTF is going on in Government!
DeleteThe supreme Court ruled that Hmrc breached taxpayer confidentiality, nothing about the legality of ingenious avoidance schemes
DeleteThey ruled Hmrc breached taxpayer confidentiality laws. Reportedly this was Dave Hartnett who was allowed to retire with a £1.7 million pension pot, so don't worry too much about him.
DeleteWhat's the difference between Ken Dodd and Dave Hartnett?
DeleteArise Sir Ken!
If it were a football match the score would have been 2-0 to Sir Ken. "Lots and lots of Happiness" ;}
I say, I take great exception to your incorrect view that the Homer person was "in charge" of anything in 2014 or at any other time before or after that year!
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous 7/2 @ 19:31
DeleteMay I replace the words 'in charge' with "collecting a huge wage and bonuses for holding the position of CEO"?
Two sides of the same coin: Mo Farrah is resident (and presumably pays and/or avoids taxes) in an overseas country, yet was awarded a knighthood - if we're talking about suitability for a knighthood and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 18:40 suggests that "Sir David" may have been 'investing' in a tax avoidance scheme which might have been found to be 'lawful' by the Supreme Court. We don't know that but what if "Sir David" is involved in cases which are yet to be settled - perhaps that knighthood gets put on the shelf for a year or two until everything is sorted..?
I don't really see anything wrong with that.
It appears that one can be a 'tax exile' but not a 'tax avoider'!
DeleteHmrc should be asked "has this person broken any tax laws?". If the answer is no, then no further subjective comment is required from them.
Delete