Monday 30 September 2019

Jacky Wright Leaving HMRC 11 October


Chief Digital and Information Officer, Jacky Wright, will leave HMRC on Friday 11 October, to return to Microsoft US.

Succession plans will be announced in October, before she leaves.

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"

Thursday 19 September 2019

Cleaners Strike


The Morning Star reports that cleaner who work in the HMRC offices in Merseyside are striking for a week over pay.


The cleaners, who are members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), were outsourced to contractor ISS.

They have asked the company to pay them £10 an hour. They also want holiday entitlements and full sick pay from day one of employment.

The strike, which began on Monday and runs until Friday, is the second in the cleaners’ campaign for better pay.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said:
Our members are taking on a belligerent multimillion-pound contractor who refuses to pay the living wage.

With ISS making outlandish profits they can easily afford to pay people who keep HMRC offices in Liverpool clean £10 an hour.

Ministers in HMRC need to step in and take all contracted-out staff back in house and give them Civil Service terms and conditions.”

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"

Wednesday 18 September 2019

Sir Amyas Wants To Hear From You Re Loan Charge


The Chancellor, Sajid Javid, has commissioned an independent review of the Disguised Remuneration Loan Charge.

The independent review will be led by Sir Amyas Morse, former Chief Executive and Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office. The review will focus on the impact of the Loan Charge on individuals who have directly entered into disguised remuneration schemes.

The Terms of Reference specify that the review will report and provide independent recommendations to the government by mid-November. They also specify that, whilst the review is ongoing, the Loan Charge will remain in force, in line with current legislation.

The government has said that it will consider and respond to the outcome of the Review once it has concluded.

Contacting the review and providing supporting evidence


Over the coming weeks, the review intends to consider the great deal of information publicly available on the Loan Charge ahead of writing its report.

The review is interested in hearing from a wide range of people and understanding their different perspectives to inform the review. If you would like to provide supporting documentary evidence then please email it to: secretariat@loanchargereview.org.uk

The terms of reference require the review to complete the report by mid-November, so any further material needs to be provided by September 30th.

Any evidence you send may be published or referred to as a part of the report, so do please identify any information that is confidential and explain the reasons why it cannot be published.

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"

Tuesday 17 September 2019

Have You Received Your EORI Number?



Auto enrolment began in August.

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"

Monday 16 September 2019

HMRC Breaching Data Protection Rights?


The Guardian reports that HMRC is facing a legal battle to block it from handing personal details about British citizens to US tax authorities.

The case could have wide-ranging implications for tens of thousands of so-called accidental Americans who left the US when they were months or years old but risk having their British bank accounts frozen for failing to comply with the US tax requirements.

The case will challenge the 2010 Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (Fatca), which requires foreign financial firms with US operations – including UK banks – to report information about US taxpayers to the IRS or face huge fines.

Law firm Mishcon de Reya has taken on the UK case for a client who alleges HMRC is breaching citizens’ data protection and privacy rights by transferring vast amounts of financial and personal data to governments outside the EU.

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"

Thursday 12 September 2019

Independent Review Into Loan Charge



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"

Wednesday 11 September 2019

The Return of EU Duty Free?



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"

Monday 9 September 2019

HMRC Glitch Impacts Bonus Payments


As those who have had snafus with their pension drawdowns can attest to, HMRC's software fails to recognise one off payments and instead assumes the person will receive the same amount every month.

Hence, middle-income earners who then receive a bonus may find themselves being taxed as if they are taking home a much higher salary.

Former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Steve Webb, who now works at pension firm Royal London, said three of his colleagues had been impacted by the miscalculation.
HMRC has a habit of taxing first and asking questions later, and this is yet another example. 

It is absurd to assume that a one-off bonus received at the start of a financial year is going to be repeated throughout the year and to tax people on that basis. 

People affected by this issue can have their monthly paypacket cut by hundreds of pounds with little or no notice and then have the hassle of contacting HMRC to get things put right.” 
Sir Steve claimed HMRC had failed to inform his team about changes to their “personal allowance”.

A spokesman form HMRC said if a customer’s tax code changes they are normally informed about this. HMRC said only a “small number” of people were affected by the glitch and issued an apology.
We will work with the employer to investigate if a tax code notice was sent to these customers.”
This "quirk" has been known about for sometime, therefore I am a tad surprised that people middle managers in Royal London were not aware of 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"

Wednesday 4 September 2019

Loan Charge Review?



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"

Tuesday 3 September 2019

HMRC Plucks Figures From The Air To Terrorise People


The FT reports that HMRC has been accused of making up figures to terrorise people by Judge Geraint Jones QC, who said a six-figure bill had been “plucked from the air” to frighten a taxpayer receiving incapacity benefit.

Judge Geraint Jones QC ruled in favour of the taxpayer who had appealed against a tax bill and penalties of £342,000.

The First Tier Tribunal heard that in 2018 HMRC had issued income tax assessments worth £272,840 against Sebastian Cussens, based on its belief that he was a sole trader buying and selling cheap second-hand cars.

HMRC alleged Mr Cussens had failed to declare trading profits between 2005 and 2016 and also issued him with penalties of £70,102. However, the tribunal heard that Mr Cussens, who represented himself with help from his 81-year-old father, had been in receipt of enhanced employment and support allowance. This benefit is paid to people unfit to work because of physical or mental impairments.

The judgment added that, based on observations at the hearing, the tribunal believed Mr Cussens “lacked the skill, ability and perhaps the understanding to deal with this appeal properly”. The judge acknowledged that Mr Cussens had failed to co-operate with HMRC and had not mentioned his health condition to them before the hearing.  Nevertheless, the tribunal found fault with the basis on which HMRC calculated the bill issued to Mr Cussens, heavily criticising its assumption that he could have made a 50 per cent net profit margin as “wild, extravagant and unreasonable”.

The judgment noted that HMRC’s lawyer was unable to explain how the profit margin had been arrived at.

It smacks of being a situation where, because the appellant had been uncooperative and was sticking his head in the sand, the respondents [HMRC] decided to issue assessments almost “in terrorem in a bid to persuade the appellant to engage properly in the matters under review,” 

The judgment said:
We have seen nothing whatsoever in the documentary evidence to suggest that any thought, consideration or analysis whatsoever was undertaken by either the [HMRC] assessing officer and/or the [HMRC] review officer to decide whether taking a net profit figure of 50 per cent of supposed turnover was or was not a reasonable basis upon which to proceed. We are firmly of the view that figure was simply ‘plucked from the air’.” 
HMRC said in response to the ruling:
We are committed to treating all taxpayers with respect by taking individual circumstances into account. We are carefully considering the judgment.
Is HMRC pleasant plucker?

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"

Monday 2 September 2019

A Loyal Reader Writes


A fed up loyal reader has asked me to post this on his/her behalf:
"Why don’t HMRC online forms work? 

I’m 99.99% certain that any information you submit into any HMRC webform isn’t stored or sent anywhere; you’re literally just pouring all your details into a black hole. 

I’ve tried repeatedly to 'De-register for VAT’ as well as 'Make a Complaint’ (about VAT de-registering service) but the info doesn’t seem to go anywhere as no action is taken, and there’s no option to phone, email or live chat with them. 

Annoying and frustrating in equal measure because they’re bound to find a way to blame me for not informing them. 

I also seem to be stuck in an interminable loop between my HMRC Business Account Gateway login and my Personal Account Gateway login—each saying I need to use the other to file my personal tax return online. 

*Banging head against the wall* 

Has anyone else had either of these issues?"
Comments and helpful advice welcomed.


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"