A Question of Qualifications

A wee while ago on this site I noted that HMRC's interim chief financial officer, Philip Moore, was not a chartered accountant (although he is an actuary, 2004 government guidelines stipulate that all CFO's running government departments must be "professionally qualified").

Annyhoo, Moore has now left HMRC to join a defined benefit pension buyout company, Pension Corporation.

Moore's role has now been split between Simon Hopkins, HMRC's director of financial planning and analysis, and Jon Fundrey, financial controller (both of whom are chartered accountants).

Doesn't splitting the role lead to confusion and conflict?

Moore was appointed temporary CFO in January 2008. He will not be lonely at Pension Corporation, HMRC's former chairman (Sir Nicolas Montagu) is on the board there.

Tax does have to be taxing.

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Taking The Piss

Now here's an interesting story, in polite circles one might say that the HMRC is having a laugh...in less polite circles, one would conjecture that they are taking the piss.

Given all that has happened over the past few months; wrt:

- lost data,
- resignations,
- strike ballots,
- botched reorganisations,
- lack of a CFO
- massive headcount cuts etc

a reasonable person might expect the HMRC to be focusing on rebuilding its shattered reputation, and improving its performance.

Well, as said, that's what a reasonable person might expect.

However, HMRC are taking a different view. They have proudly announced that they are advising African governments on how revenue bodies should develop an "effective relationship with major taxpayers and their advisers".

HMRC state that they will be advising their African counterparts to base their activities around, "commercial understanding, impartiality, proportionality, openness and responsiveness."

I can't disagree with that advice.

The question is, do the HMRC actually follow this advice though?

Some would argue that they don't.

A spokesman for the Professional Contractors Group's is quoted in the media:

"HMRC giving advice on impartiality and commercial understanding is a bit like Jade Goody opening a charm school."

As noted, shouldn't HMRC to be focusing on rebuilding its shattered reputation and improving its performance; rather than involving itself with Africa?

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The Sweet Smell of Bullshit

I am not alone in thinking that the sudden and "hush hush" (hush hush until it leaked) departure of Stuart Cruickshank (CFO of HMRC) stinks.

Martin Waller of The Times does not think the HMRC version of events holds any water at all.

"...HMRC's version of events is increasingly leaking water. Stuart Cruickshank, the Revenue claims, was on a 'standard Civil Service fixed-term appointment contract' and was always expected to leave. After 15 months? An odd fixed term....

HMRC is sticking to its fiction in the light off the above, but it simply doesn't hold up."

-Why has Cruickshank gone after such a short period in office?

-Has he been paid off?

Would someone on the inside of HMRC care to drop me a line with the real story here please?

I guarantee your anonymity.

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Data Protection

How reassuring to learn that, following on from last year's Datagate Debacle, HMRC has finally learned to be careful with individuals' personal data (or at least one individual's personal data, at any rate).

Martin Waller of The Times made some enquiries yesterday about the rather sudden, and hush hush, departure of Stuart Cruickshank (HMRC Finance Director) after only a year in the job.

When asked by Martin as to whether Cruickshank would be receiving a payoff (funded naturally by the hapless taxpayer), he was told by our ever open friends in HMRC:

"We cannot comment on the individual terms of any specific contract."

Well, as said, it is nice to see that HMRC is finally learning how to protect an individual's personal data. It is a pity though that they have forgotten the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and the fact that they work for us.

Here's an idea, why don't we all write to HMRC asking them to provide details of Cruickshank's payoff, and remind them of the FOIA?

I would like to provide an email link with their email address. Unfortunately, for reasons best known to themselves, HMRC do not want you to send them emails.

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Resignation II

Further to my earlier article today about the resignation (or "planned departure") of Stuart Cruickshank (CFO of HMRC), I am advised by one of my chums that the intranet announcement that went around HMRC yesterday quoted the acting chairman of HMRC saying that the process of finding a successor will start "shortly".

Errmmm...shouldn't they have started this a little bit earlier, especially if they knew that the guy was only on a one year contract?

It sounds to me as though neither HMRC, nor Cruickshank, knew that he was going to be leaving quite so quickly.

What a mess!

Where do I apply?

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Resignation

Stuart Cruickshank joined HMRC as CFO in December 2006, one year on it is reported in Accountancy Age that he is leaving in March to take up a number of public and private roles. There is no successor as yet.

Now here is the rather odd thing about this, it seems that his contract was only for one year.

-Why such a short tenure?

-How much has this cost the taxpayer to bring him on board, train him up then lose him?

-Why does the HMRC site not mention this yet?

-Will he be receiving a pay off?

-Given that at the outset it was known that he would only be around for one year, why has no successor been found?

-The really odd thing is that reading page 12 of The Gasette (The magazine for government finance professionals) Autumn 2007, I get the distinct impression that Cruickshank, and indeed The Gasette, thought that he would be around for longer than a year.

HMRC now have only an acting chairman, and no CFO.

What an excellent way to run an organisation!

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