Hypocritical Wanker Alert

Celebrity antisemite Lineker, along with some other millionaires, is calling for HMRC to make them pay more tax.

All very noble you might think, except for the fact that a few years ago Lineker went into battle against a tax bill from HMRC. 

Lineker, the former England footballer and Match of the Day presenter, operated as a freelancer through his partnership, Gary Lineker Media (GLM). HMRC pursued him for around £4.9 million in alleged unpaid income tax and National Insurance Contributions (NIC) for work with the BBC and BT Sport between 2013–2014 and 2017–2018.

HMRC argued that he should be treated as an employee under IR35 (off-payroll working rules), meaning his partnership structure was an "intermediary" and he owed extra tax as if employed directly by the broadcasters. Lineker maintained he was a genuine freelancer who had paid all appropriate taxes.

Outcome

• In March 2023, the First-tier Tribunal ruled decisively in Lineker’s favour. Judge John Brooks found that because Lineker had direct contracts with the BBC and BT Sport (not routed through a qualifying intermediary in the way IR35 requires), the IR35 rules "do not, and cannot as a matter of law, apply." The tribunal set aside HMRC’s demands.
• HMRC appealed but withdrew the appeal in late 2024, shortly before an Upper Tribunal hearing, and settled the case.

Result: Lineker avoided the £4.9m bill. He confirmed he had not failed to pay any taxes or NIC due to IR35. The case turned on a technical contractual point rather than a full employment status test.

This was a notable win for Lineker after a multi-year fight and highlighted complexities in IR35 application for high-profile freelancers with direct client relationships.

Anyhoo, if he and his buddies want to pay more tax there is nothing stopping them: 

 

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 Told To Practise What it Preaches

 

Members of a House of Lords committee have called on HMRC to “constantly review” the business practices of its contractors after it emerged that 15 were known to have used a controversial tax-avoidance measure the department is cracking down on.

Lord Bridges of Headley said that HMRC needed to practise what it preached following a session of the upper chamber’s Economic Affairs Finance Bill Sub-Committee that heard HMRC knew people who worked for it had used so-called disguised remuneration schemes. 

HMRC, quoted by CSW, said that it had "never endorsed or participated in disguised remuneration tax avoidance schemes".

"It is possible for contractors to use disguised remuneration without the participation or knowledge of their engager.

"Whenever it is discovered that a contractor, providing services to HMRC or RCDTS, is currently using a disguised remuneration scheme, HMRC (acting as the engager of contingent workers) acts promptly to terminate the relevant engagements.

"We do not investigate these cases any differently to other cases of suspected disguised remuneration, we are even-handed and treat all taxpayers equally.

"We continue to warn people about the risks of using tax avoidance schemes and our advice remains true – if something looks too good to be true, it almost certainly is."

Tax does have to be taxing.

Tax Investigation Insurance

Having a Solar Protect Tax Investigation Insurance policy at your disposal means that should you be one of the many 1000's of businesses or individuals that are selected by HMRC each year to look into your tax affairs your own accountant (your tax return agent) can get on and defend you robustly.

You have the peace of mind knowing that your accountant's (your tax return agent) fees will be paid by the insurance without any Excess for you to find.

Tax Investigation Insurance is an insurance policy that will fully reimburse your accountants (your tax return agent) fees up to £100,000 if you are subject to enquiry by or dispute with HMRC.

A Solar Protect policy will enable your Accountant (your tax return agent) to:

• Deal with any correspondence from HMRC
• Attend any meeting with HMRC
• Appeal to the First-tier Tribunal or Upper Tribunal
• Having the security of knowing that fees will be met in full will enable your Accountant (your tax return agent) to defend your position robustly

Please click here for details.

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 Offshore Debt Collection Racket

 

The Times reports that debt collection firms hired by HMRC and local councils include some that have owners based in tax havens, eg LCS owned by Anderw Barclay who based in Jersey.

Another of the companies is owned by a family that ran a notorious payday loan firm.

DO AS WE SAY, NOT AS WE DO!

Tax does have to be taxing.

Tax Investigation Insurance

Having a Solar Protect Tax Investigation Insurance policy at your disposal means that should you be one of the many 1000's of businesses or individuals that are selected by HMRC each year to look into your tax affairs your own accountant (your tax return agent) can get on and defend you robustly.

You have the peace of mind knowing that your accountant's (your tax return agent) fees will be paid by the insurance without any Excess for you to find.

Tax Investigation Insurance is an insurance policy that will fully reimburse your accountants (your tax return agent) fees up to £100,000 if you are subject to enquiry by or dispute with HMRC.

A Solar Protect policy will enable your Accountant (your tax return agent) to:

• Deal with any correspondence from HMRC
• Attend any meeting with HMRC
• Appeal to the First-tier Tribunal or Upper Tribunal
• Having the security of knowing that fees will be met in full will enable your Accountant (your tax return agent) to defend your position robustly

Please click here for details.

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"

Irony Klaxon Alert - Mel Stride's Dad Sells Tax Investigation Insurance

As per Stride Insurance:

"The past few years have seen HMRC implement a wave of new measures in a bid to crack down on individuals and businesses not paying enough tax.

At first, HRMC introduced tax amnesties to tax payers to make voluntary disclosures of undeclared taxable income, in exchange for forgiveness of tax liabilities. Then it was revealed that HMRC would start carrying out spot checks of business premises, where representatives inspect tax records on everything from corporate income and PAYE, to NI, Capital Gains and VAT.

If you pay tax, HMRC could pay you a visit at any time and inspect your records. Even if you’ve been honest and accurate declaring tax, it’s possible that they will launch an enquiry, which could end up being a costly endeavour. Appealing a decision can mean even more money, plus your precious time – something we know is in short supply if you have your own business to run."

Very true, and it is "nice" that Stride then goes on to offer to sell you tax investigation insurance.

Who is Stride run by?

None other then Mel Stride's (Financial Secretary to The Treasury, and Loan Charge enforcer) father, ooh the irony!

Oh, and by the way, if you want to buy tax investigation insurance then may I suggest you check out the 10% discount I have negotiated on these products.

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"

State Uses Tax Avoidance

Oh dear, it would seem that the state is not practising what it preaches.

NHS trusts are flouting orders not to use tax avoidance schemes.

The Mail reports that under a tax loophole, temporary staff are employed by financial consultants and supplied to hospitals as ‘medical services’.

It means they are exempt from the 20 per cent VAT usually levied on agency workers.

An HMRC spokesman said:

‘HMRC expects all businesses, including public bodies, to apply the tax rules correctly. Government guidance explicitly states public sector organisations should not engage in tax evasion or avoidance.’

Well of course the state should practice "evasion" (as that is illegal!). I am not sure I get why the state shouldn't use legal tax avoidance though?

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"

Troup Knighted After Supplying Confidential Tax Information

Edward Troup who signed an agreement to provide confidential tax information to the compilers of the honours list was knighted several months later after supplying that information.

How ironic!

I thought that tax information held by HMRC was meant to be confidential???



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"

Lead By Example, Or Shut The Fuck Up Welby!

When vast companies like @AmazonUK pay almost no tax.

When they don't pay a real living wage.

When they leech off the taxpayer without contributing to our society.

Then there is something wrong with the tax system.

My speech at @The_TUC today: https://t.co/kboRSQw8hR pic.twitter.com/rOw6fKWDNL

— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) September 12, 2018

Last week the Archbishop of Canterbury bleated from his "pulpit" that it was in his opinion disgraceful that certain companies such as Amazon avoided tax, and that people would be happier if they paid more tax.

I noted at the time that he was a hypocritical idiot and that he should "lead by example and request that the tax exemptions that the £8BN business known as the Church of England currently enjoys be lifted, so that the church and its ministers etc pay tax!"

Following on from that outburst about Amazon et al, it has emerged that the business enterprise aka the Church of England intends to remain a stakeholder in Amazon and profit from its tax avoidance.

To repeat what I said last week, the Archbishop of Canterbury is a hypocritical idiot.

Lead by example, or shut the fuck up Welby! 

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 Sits On Student Loan Overpayments

The Telegraph reports that figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that almost 90,000 students continued making payments on their student loans after they had already repaid it in full in the 2015-16 tax year.

A total of £51m was overpaid during that year.

Experts branded the level of overpayment “staggering” and said that the Student Loans Company should be doing more to offer graduates a transparent and efficient service, with one MP demanding in Your Money today that the quango “end the scourge” of making borrowers overpay.


So what?

I hear you ask.

What has this to do with HMRC?

Read on.....

The majority of students repay their loans through their payroll, with the money being collected by employers and paid to HMRC. Employers must report these figures to HMRC monthly, and graduates can see on each payslip how much they have repaid.

However, despite HMRC collecting repayment information monthly, it only reports the figure once a year to Student Loans Company – at the end of the tax year. Nor does HMRC pass on the information immediately.

In fact, the Student Loans Company has indicated that some data reaches it only seven months after the tax-year end. This means some graduates will wait until November to find how much they have paid.

The figures will only be accurate to April 5 of that year, meaning the statement is already months out of date when it is sent.

It is only once the Student Loans Company has received this information that it calculates the loan outstanding on the account – which is when it becomes clear that some have overpaid.

Unsurprisingly, HMRC are very very slow at repaying the overpayments!

Graham Farquhar, a partner at accounting firm RSM, nails the hypocrisy:

“It’s disappointing. HMRC is keen that employers pay everything in real time and there is no such thing as a year’s grace. 

It’s interesting that this doesn’t seem to apply to HMRC itself.”

Oh, and don't forget, Steve Lamey was recently suspended as CEO of the SLC.

So what???

Lamey, as loyal readers know, used to work for HMRC a.o. as chief operations officer and chief executive of its tax credits and child benefits division.

How odd!!
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 Nixed Beckham's Knighthood

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.

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"

Blair Got Advice From Hartnett

As loyal readers know, HMRC is keen to promote its "customer friendly" credentials and is often at pains to point out that taxpayers (sorry "customers") can get in touch with HMRC to discuss their tax queries etc.

Well it seems that HMRC are not kidding, that is at least the case for ex Prime Ministers anyway.

It appears according to reports in the Times that Tony Blair, when he left office, was granted (or at least his advisers were granted) an audience with Dave Hartnett.

For why?

Blair wanted to arrange the most tax efficient structure for some form of offshore trust that would handle his "consultancy" income from various foreign organisations/governments. Reporters were told that Blair uses an interest-in-possession (IIP) trust to receive payments from his consultancy work

Economia reports that MPs are expected to write to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to call for an investigation into “special treatment of high-profile individuals by HMRC”.

The question is, if you or I had asked for an audience with Hartnett would we have received the same treatment that Blair got?

Oh and by the way, re yesterday's article about HMRC's consultation on a new offence aimed at businesses which fail to prevent tax evasion.

Will that apply to HMRC as well?


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"

Troup's Offshore Dalliance

As the political and media hoo-hah continues over offshoring, and the related tax implications, it appears that neither HMRC nor the Guardian have a sense of irony over the facts that HMRC's property management company is Mapeley (which has an offshore presence) and that the Guardian has itself used (maybe still uses) an offshore vehicle.

Anyhoo, that aside the media (eg the Guardian) reports today that:

"The boss of Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the government department overseeing a £10m inquiry into the Panama Papers, was a partner at a top City law firm that acted for Blairmore Holdings and other offshore companies named in the leak.

Edward Troup, executive chair of HMRC since April, is a former partner at Simmons & Simmons, whose clients have included the Panama-registered fund created by David Cameron’s father, Ian."

Whoever said that HMRC doesn't do irony?

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"

Cameron's Moral Outrage

In June 2012 I wrote about the howls of moral outrage emanating from David Cameron about Jimmy Carr's tax avoidance scheme.

Cameron boldly proclaimed to the world that Jimmy Carr's tax arrangement "isn't morally right". 

I also noted:

"I would also remind the Prime Minister that raising a hue and cry over tax avoidance (eg in the form of the investigation of civil servants on off payroll schemes) is all very well, but what happens when your proud boasts to end these schemes come to nowt?.....

...Cameron has got himself well and truly stuck on top of the Savage Mountain (aka K2), not only will his "promises" to deal with these schemes come to nowt, but he has effectively declared open season on every Tory MP, every Tory candidate and every Tory donor. The media and other interested parties will pore over their finances with a fine tooth-comb, and one by one every single tax avoidance scheme (that the PM finds "immoral") will be made public (I guarantee there are hundreds of Tory MPs and Tory donors etc using these such schemes).
Cameron has lost touch with reality, in a desperate attempt to grab a soundbite and pander to the anti avoidance lobby.
To repeat what I said yesterday:

"Avoidance is a perfectly normal human thing to try to do, the politicians are not in a position to lecture the rest of us on "morality."

A politician lecturing us on morality is as natural as a cat walking on its hind legs."

In July 2012 I wrote:

"David Gauke said that the government will name and shame wealthy people who use "aggressive" tax avoidance schemes. Gauke went on to say that companies offering such products will be forced to hand over details of their clients."

Fast forward to 2016, and it transpires that Cameron had a modest holding in an offshore fund (set up by his father) which he sold in 2010. 

Now of course there is nothing illegal in that. However, to have spent some years venting his spleen against tax avoidance makes him look a tad hypocritical does it not?

As I have noted on several occasions on this site, politicians who rage against tax avoidance will one day find that their public moralising will come back to bite them on their arses; as a politician lecturing us on morality is as natural as a cat walking on its hind legs!

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"

Tax Avoidance Hypocrisy

It seems that Labour is instructing local parties to "minimise" tax when buying and selling properties, which is kind of ironic given that Labour has previously claimed that “no measures” have been taken “to reduce our tax liability.”

Labour’s Property Handbook, distributed to local parties, is quoted by the Telegraph:

"It is therefore essential that professional advice about all property transactions is sought early...so as to optimise the use of tax exemptions and relief."

Good to know that a party that has whinged so much about tax avoidance (just as the Tories and Liberals have done too), not only proactively seeks to reduce its tax liability but recommends that the advice of tax professionals is sought.

Politicians are hypocrites!

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 State Supports Avoidance

Contrary to what the politicians would have us believe, the state very much favours tax avoidance (until, that is, its avoidance measures enter the public domain).

As per the Telegraph:

"Two Government departments have been fined and 100 NHS bosses and civil servants have been fired after the Treasury discovered that staff were being paid “off the books” through companies. 

Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, fined the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Health a total of £1.5million after it emerged that they were not doing enough to stop staff being paid through companies and potentially reducing their tax bills."

Quel surprise!

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"

Beaker's Tax Matters

A loyal reader opined the following yesterday, about Beaker:

"wonder if our mate Danny will be caught preaching one thing and doing another like his Two friends today reported to be selling their time!

Hundreds of old has beens, fiddling bastards, and corrupt liars and we're paying their wages..... sorry 'part' of their wages, oh, and only the bit they have to declare.

HMRC Don't ever chase me for my tax, not until you get off your arses, put your own house in order and are seen to be treating everyone consistently and fairly."

Ironically I came across this article in the Telegraph from 2010, which noted:

"Mr Alexander, who was appointed on Saturday after the resignation of fellow Liberal Democrat David Laws, designated the property as his second home for the purpose of claiming parliamentary expenses but described it to HM Revenue and Customs as his main home."

All perfectly legal, as indeed was the fact he took advice from a tax professional to avoid CGT on the sale of the taxpayer funded house at the time.

However, I find it "tedious" that the very same people who use tax professionals to minimise their tax bill, then lecture everyone else about the "morality" of paying their "fair share" of tax (whatever that really means?) and the "immorality" of tax avoidance.

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"

A Right Balls Up - Ed Caught Lying

As per the Telegraph:

"Ed Balls and 11 other members of the shadow cabinet claimed expenses for cleaning, gardening or odd jobs without submitting receipts, seriously undermining the shadow chancellor’s advice that we should all insist on invoices for cash-in-hand jobs.

Mr Balls claimed £1,610 for cleaners and his wife Yvette Cooper claimed £2,640 for cleaning and gardening, out of a total of £37,881 claimed by the 12 Labour MPs.

^{Ed Balls claims expenses for cleaners in 2006}

Mr Balls, in common with his 11 colleagues, did not submit a single receipt for the work done, despite his insistence on Monday that he had obtained receipts for every single cash payment since he entered politics 21 years ago."

Not only is he a pillock, he's a lying pillock!

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"

Tax Avoidance - The Great Leveller

Contrary to what some in the media would have us believe it is not just "evil" mega corporations that seek to reduce their tax bills via tax avoidance schemes, but honest hard working ex Labour MPs.

Step forward Peter Mandelson.

Avoidance is the great leveller, putting politicians and corporations on the same field. Thus I am often gemused as to why some MPs keep bleating about avoidance, given that they and their accountants are happily doing their best to legally reduce their personal tax bills.

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"

Ingenious Tax Avoidance

Former government chief whip Andrew Mitchell has invested in a high-profile film financing company considered to be a tax avoidance scheme by HMRC.

A case of our elected representatives following the old maxim of "Do as we say, not as we do"!

MPs are going to regret opening Pandora's Box by demonising tax avoidance.

Tax does have to be taxing.

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Hypocrisy

For reasons best known to himself, Charlie Elphicke MP has called for accountants who promote aggressive tax avoidance schemes to face criminal prosecution.

Elphicke, a former tax lawyer, has said (according to AccountingWeb) that he has tabled a series of amendments to the Finance Bill that would make it illegal to help clients to invest in schemes designed to avoid tax.

Elphicke said he wanted to start a discussion about the morality of tax avoidance.

As at the time of writing evasion is illegal, but avoidance isn't. A former tax lawyer calling for the prosecution of those who promote avoidance schemes seems a tad hypocritical to me.

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"

No Minister!

The Guardian recently reported that Treasury minister, David Gauke, has been reported to HMRC for advertising an unpaid six-month "training post" at his constituency office.

For why has he been reported?

HMRC is in charge of enforcing the national minimum wage law for workers and interns, and only last month launched a crackdown on employers not paying the minimum wage and promised to investigate all cases referred to them in which firms use long-term unpaid interns.

HMRC has also warned businesses that they could be "publicly named and shamed" and may be liable for a £5,000 fine if they are found to be in breach of national minimum wage laws.

Gauke said:

"This is advertised as a position for a volunteer, enabling the successful applicant to gain experience of political campaigning and office work – working alongside association officers who are also volunteers."

Gus Baker from Intern Aware said:

"Based on David Gauke's previous advertisement for unpaid interns, at Intern Aware we find his latest advert for an unpaid training post to be highly suspicious.

David Gauke should know that if this intern is doing real work under a contract they will be entitled to the national minimum wage. As he is the minister responsible for HMRC, which enforces minimum wage law, he should know better."

An HMRC spokesperson said:

"HMRC cannot discuss individual cases for legal reasons. Anyone who thinks they are not being paid the legal wage can call HMRC's Pay and Workers Rights hotline on 0800 917 2398."

A case of do as we say, not as we do!

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"