HMRC has admitted to MPs that it allowed 11,000 Chinese firms to register for VAT at a single residential flat in Wales without checking who lived there.
It was only discovered when the owner received 580 letters from HMRC asking for £500K in VAT payments.
Well done lads!
Tax does have to be taxing.
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I wonder if this address had a visit from a VAT Officer to confirm the nature of business or evidence of trading? What would it have cost to send one out? Even a simple Google map search would show it's a residential address.
ReplyDeleteThis is what happens when you cut corners.
How much has been lost to the Treasury, in terms of fraud / money laundering? What will it cost to rectify?
There's more chance of building a Snowman in the Sahara than there is of getting any of the money back.
Is there a gong category for Incompetence? HMRC would win the award... "Most Inept Department In The Civil Service"
This, sadly, is what happens when you close local offices and centralise clerical work, eg VAT registration.
ReplyDeleteIn the old days a local officer in Wales would have picked up the scam on the 3rd or 4th registration application. Now it's all dealt with by uninterested part-tmers hundreds of miles away.
That's progress for you!
HMRC and Stonewall of Doom. Can't get them on the phone, if by some miracle you do, then it's a script reader working from home.
ReplyDeleteThere's always plenty of time for Director General's to wax lyrical on press junkets. Making sure that customers are at the heart of everything they do and other buzzwords.
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/experts/article-11952029/Help-Im-stuck-Net-tax-hell-TONY-HETHERINGTON-investigates.html
The problem is HMRC has lost so many staff through the office closures and staff bullying.
ReplyDeleteThey've lost a huge amount of experience but it's worse than that - they're struggling to recruit quality staff in the new locations to replace those who have left.
Who can blame decent people for not wanting to work the modern day HMRC?
The bullying problems continue to be out of control. I've seen reports on social media only this week (from an HMRC lawyer, so seems credible) stating that there have been so many attempted suicides because of bullying, the Cabinet Office has apparently been monitoring the issue since 2018.
Tax avoidance and evasion from the elites is going unchecked - billions of pounds is being lost to the Exchequer each year as a result. The loan charge scandal is causing despair and suicides - an absolute disgrace that HMRC could and should have resolved years ago. Phone calls about basic tax queries are going unanswered. HMRC staff are being bullied to mental breakdown and worse.... we could go on!!!
It's an absolute shit show. Thank you Ken and all contributors for doing your bit to keep the pressure on this unaccountable and monstrous tax dept.