UK Public Sector Hit By Global Internet Outage

 

As per Guido:

Amazon Web Services is down in a major internet outage affecting its clients, which includes thousands of popular websites, apps, and games. No Snapchat for the kids…

AWS is also used extremely widely across the UK public sector. Here are some examples:

• HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC): handles customs, taxation, and border systems.​

Can't wait for digital id!

Tax does have to be taxing.



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 Slow March Toward AI: A Missed Opportunity for Transformation

The recent announcement that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has established a “landing zone to safely exploit” generative artificial intelligence (AI) in its 2024/25 annual report sounds promising on the surface. It signals a step toward embracing cutting-edge technology to streamline operations and enhance public services. However, beneath the optimistic rhetoric lies a troubling reality: HMRC’s adoption of AI has been frustratingly slow, lagging behind both the private sector and the transformative potential of this technology. While the establishment of a dedicated AI framework is a welcome move, it’s hard to shake the sense that HMRC is playing catch-up in a race where others have already taken the lead.

A Decade of Hesitation

HMRC’s journey with AI is not new. As early as 2017, the organisation was exploring automation and machine learning, with initiatives like the Automation Delivery Centre aiming to automate 10 million processes by 2018. The Connect system, in use for over a decade, has been a cornerstone in combating tax evasion by aggregating data from diverse sources like the Land Registry and online marketplaces. Yet, despite these early forays, HMRC’s progress in leveraging more advanced AI, particularly generative AI, has been glacial. The private sector—think tech giants, financial institutions, and even mid-sized startups—has been harnessing AI for years to optimise processes, personalise customer experiences, and drive innovation. Meanwhile, HMRC’s efforts have felt like cautious tiptoeing rather than bold strides.

The Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) recent warning underscores this lag, stating that HMRC is “not well-placed to take advantage of the opportunities offered by technology, such as the development of artificial intelligence.” This critique stings because it highlights a systemic issue: a lack of urgency and strategic vision. While HMRC touts its “landing zone” for generative AI, the reality is that this framework feels like a belated response to a technological revolution that’s already reshaping industries worldwide.

The Promise of AI for HMRC

The potential for AI to transform HMRC’s operations is immense. Generative AI, capable of producing text, summarising data, and even generating code, could revolutionise how HMRC interacts with taxpayers. Current use cases, such as summarising customer helpline calls or powering chatbots for online advice, are promising but limited in scope. Imagine a world where AI-driven analytics predict tax evasion with pinpoint accuracy, where chatbots provide real-time, personalised guidance to taxpayers, or where AI streamlines recruitment and compliance processes to save time and resources. HMRC’s own report highlights tools like “Skill Scribe,” which simplifies recruitment, and a regional insights tool for labour market analysis—proof that the technology can deliver when applied.

Yet, these initiatives are still in their infancy. The department’s participation in a cross-government AI chatbot pilot and its use of AI for enhanced compliance targeting and fraud detection are steps in the right direction, but they feel like pilot projects rather than a comprehensive strategy. The fact that only 7,225 staff members completed AI-focused training in 2024/25, while commendable, is a drop in the bucket for an organisation of HMRC’s size. Scaling up AI adoption requires not just training but a cultural shift—one that embraces risk-taking and innovation over bureaucratic caution.

The Risks of Moving Too Slowly

HMRC’s slow adoption of AI isn’t just a missed opportunity; it’s a risk to its mission. Tax evasion and fraud are evolving, with criminals leveraging AI to create sophisticated scams, from phishing to voice cloning. A 2025 government report on the safety and security risks of generative AI warns that criminals are adopting the technology at the same pace as the general population, amplifying threats like fraud and data harvesting. If HMRC doesn’t accelerate its AI capabilities, it risks being outmanoeuvred by those it seeks to regulate.

Moreover, the public expects more from government services in the digital age. Taxpayers, accustomed to seamless experiences from private-sector platforms, are frustrated by clunky processes and long wait times. AI could alleviate these pain points—scheduling appointments, personalising taxpayer support, or automating repetitive tasks to free up staff for complex cases. But every year HMRC delays, it erodes public trust and misses chances to improve service delivery.

Ethical Concerns and the Need for Speed

To its credit, HMRC is taking steps to address ethical concerns, with an AI Ethics Working Group overseeing mandatory processes and ensuring transparency. This cautious approach is necessary—AI misuse could lead to biased outcomes or privacy breaches, as highlighted by the Information Commissioner’s Office and the UK’s AI governance frameworks. However, caution shouldn’t mean paralysis. The private sector has shown it’s possible to balance innovation with ethical safeguards, and HMRC must learn to do the same.

The “landing zone” concept is a step toward safe AI adoption, but it’s telling that it’s framed as a starting point rather than a mature strategy. Other government bodies, like the Government Digital Service (GDS), have been experimenting with AI for years, with projects like the GOV.UK chatbot showing tangible results. HMRC’s delay in reaching this stage suggests a lack of agility, perhaps rooted in bureaucratic inertia or resource constraints.

A Call for Bold Action

HMRC’s “landing zone” is a sign of progress, but it’s not enough. To truly harness AI’s potential, HMRC must move beyond pilot projects and incremental training. It needs a comprehensive AI strategy that prioritises rapid deployment, workforce upskilling, and collaboration with private-sector innovators. The government’s broader AI Opportunities Action Plan, which aims to make the UK an “AI superpower,” sets an ambitious tone. HMRC must align with this vision, not trail behind it.

The UK has a proud history of technological leadership, from Alan Turing’s foundational work to modern AI pioneers like DeepMind. HMRC, as a critical public institution, has a responsibility to embody this legacy. The establishment of a “landing zone” is a start, but it’s time for HMRC to stop taxiing on the runway and take flight. The longer it delays, the further it falls behind in a world where AI is no longer the future—it’s the present. 

Tax does have to be taxing.


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Fujitsu and HMRC - #PostOfficeScandal

 

Given that Fujitsu is currently in the news again, courtesy of its role in the Horizon Post Office scandal, it is worth remembering that it also has a long term relationship with HMRC. 

Here is a link to a few articles I wrote over the years mentioning that relationship.

In fact Fujitsu seems to have its tentacles in many taxpayer funded pies, as per Computer Weekly:

"Despite its involvement in the scandal, the Japanese IT giant has continued to be awarded lucrative contracts by the UK government. Last year, it was awarded IT services contracts by the Home Office, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). It will be paid £250m by HMRC to replace an in-house service, while the FCDO has contracted it to provide networking and communications services in a deal worth £184m, and the Home Office is paying Fujitsu £48m to support the technology underpinning the Police National Database."

Those of you who work within HMRC are more than welcome to share your insights/thoughts/experiences about this.

Tax does have to be taxing.

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HMRC's 31 Red Days

 

HMRC suffered a big increase in IT outages during the year 2022/23, with one in three days affected by a significant incident.

This includes 31 “red days” – a classification applied to any day on “which there is a high-priority incident of the highest level and in which there are significant outages impacting HMRC and/or customers”. This compares with just 15 red days recorded during the prior year.

Amber days – which include those with “one or more high-priority incidents, with lesser impact” – also more than doubled, from 40 to 87.

The remaining 247 days were classified green – meaning there were no major tech incidents. This figure fell by more than 60 from the 310 logged as completely outage-free in 2021-22.

The 2022-23 year included a major incident that caused five days of telephone and online service outages, during which about 100,000 calls went unanswered.

All in all pretty appalling, and likely to get worse!

Tax does have to be taxing.

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• Attend any meeting with HMRC
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HMRC Shipley Seeks £1.5M Cheque Processing Solution

HMRC is seeking a supplier of IT hardware and software to enable it to read and process cheques.

HMRC is seeking a supplier that can provide scanning hardware to be installed at HMRC offices in Shipley. The technology should be “capable of scanning and extracting data from cheques and supporting payment documentation” including payslips.

PublicTechnology reports that in additon to hardware, the chosen supplier will also be tasked with supplying a software-as-a-service offering. HMRC requires programs capable of performing six tasks:

“reconciling cheques and payslips; validating HMRC reference numbers; handling exceptions; sending cheque image files for clearing; uploading [information] on to the authority infrastructure; [and] providing management information”.

HMRC is looking to appoint a supplier to a three-year contract, with up to two 12-month extensions thereafter. For the duration of the engagement – which is forecast to be worth about £1.5m to the winning bidder – the chosen firm will be expected to provide all the necessary “support service requirements” to maintain the hardware and software.

“The supplier must work with the authority's IT infrastructure team and the authority's banking provider, during the implementation phase of the project.”

Bids are open until 28 May, with a contract scheduled to commence on 4 August.

Tax does have to be taxing.

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HMRC's IT Insecurity

Chelsea Duncan tried to log on to her own tax account using the HMRC website only to be plunged into another woman’s private affairs including seeing what benefits she received.

Ms Duncan used her mobile phone to access HMRC’s website and was shocked to see the account of someone with the same surname.

She is quoted by The Evening Telegraph:

“I couldn’t believe it.

I used my name, driver’s licence and bank details plus my insurance number and all of my private details – then I got logged into that other girl’s private account.

It showed me everything from the amount of benefits she receives, her national insurance number, date of birth, address and what she is entitled to.

I have not contacted the girl because I didn’t want to scare her.

I went straight on to the revenue and complained about it and got to a manager who promised to change everything.

He noted that I had contacted them, took my details and said it would be taken care of.

But when I logged back on I was still in her account and blocked from my own. It’s just crazy. I took a video of the whole thing on my phone in case they need to see it.”

A spokesman for HMRC said they would not comment on individual customers and added: 

“We take the safeguarding of customer data very seriously and if someone believes the details we hold for them are incorrect, we would ask them to contact us immediately.”

Well then!

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?

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To find out more, please use this link Solar Tax Investigation Insurance



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HMRC's IT Systems Are Fucked!

Loyal Reader:

"Latest from the trenches....internal HMRC Intranet which took at least 30 seconds to load a page...quality work from the I.T team at HMRC CDIO...is now being upgraded....hurrah !!!
Instead of 30 seconds......the Intranet after rigorous testing....drum roll..........is producing the error 502 Gateway Error.....brilliant...simply thanks vouchers all round !!! The Titanic continues to sink....when will they ever learn ?
More breaking news as it happens..... 

 ...and even better...our I.T gurus have now admitted defeat and returned to the old Intranet system which takes an average of 30 seconds to load a page...they say it's better than having no system at all...what a BRILLIANT HMRC !! Sticking plasters all round."

"Meanwhile, in HMRC, the much-trumpeted migration of the department's clunky intranet to 'the cloud' had to be rolled back within 24 hours because it broke down immediately, ended up being slower than the unmigrated version, and broke everyone's favourites/bookmarks."

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"

Assistant Commercial Director - IT Contract Management HMRC £96K

HMRC is offering an annual salary of £96K for an assistant commercial director - IT contract management, to oversee its engagements with IT suppliers as it nears the post-Aspire era.

The IT outsourcing deal with Capgemini and Fujitsu, which was originally due to end in 2017, is now going through a phased migration, with all services due to be retendered or brought back in house by 2020.

As per the advert:

“HMRC has recently exited the Aspire contract for IT provision with commercial staff playing a leading role,” the department said. “In doing so, it has reached a negotiated position with incumbent suppliers and activity has been undertaken to source suppliers for newly defined elements of the bought-out services. New contracts will allow the department to take better advantage of digital innovations, and keep pace with digital and technology trends of the future.”

The role, which will be based in Telford or London, comes with a salary of up to £95,950.
The successful candidate will manage a team of about 10 contract managers, and will report into the head of commercial contract management. The IT contract chief will help manage a hundredfold increase in the organisation’s supply chain.

HMRC said:

“You will play a key role in managing our supply base effectively through the IT transformation as HMRC continues to move away from the single biggest IT outsource deal in Europe, Aspire, to a supply chain of over 200 suppliers. You and your team will be closely involved in managing and supporting the ongoing transition to the new supplier environment.”

Key Responsibilities:

▪ Proactively lead, manage and develop a team of contract managers, giving clear direction and support to maximise capability, quality and productivity. Ensure the appropriate level and number of staff are assigned to each eligible contract.
▪ Implement the strategic direction of HMRC contract management.
▪ Oversee production and delivery of contract management team plans, pipelines and actions for your category pillar
▪ IT to deliver effective contractual outcomes, including quality, value, delivery, innovation and continuous improvement agendas.
▪ Provide assurance that the policies, procedures, action plans and initiatives for Commercial Contract Management and Supplier Relationship Management are adhered to consistently across IT category pillar and business areas, working within the Supply Chain Assurance framework.
▪ Build and maintain key relationships across the business, promoting collaboration between business areas, and commercial teams.
▪ Ensure an effective risk management framework is in place to map, manage and mitigate supply chain risk for your category pillar.
▪ Support the delivery of a SRM programme for strategic suppliers within IT category driving additional value (service, cost and risk) beyond that originally contracted.

Key Criteria: To be successful, candidates will need to demonstrate capability against the following criteria:

▪ Has a strong delivery focus with the ability to operate successfully and deliver within a challenging and complex environment.
▪ Needs to be resilient – the transformation programme within IT and the structural changes in Commercial will provide challenges and opportunities.
▪ Extensive experience of managing strategic IT suppliers.
▪ Able to build and maintain effective customer and supplier relationships.
▪ Strong negotiator, with a drive to deliver value for money and achieve excellent service from our suppliers.
▪ Applicants must have achieved an A or a B* at a GCF Assessment and Development Centre (ADC) or be willing** to attend an ADC.

Applications are open until 16 April.

Once candidates have been "sifted", successful applicants will be invited to an assessment centre during the week commencing 7 May.

Final panel interviews will take place the following week.

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 AML Registration Glitches

Property Industry Eye reports that despite numerous problems that agents are experiencing in trying to re-register with HMRC for anti-money laundering, the April 1 deadline is fixed.

HMRC is not only holding to the deadline, but has said that agents who have not re-registered by midnight this Saturday will be de-registered, and will then be charged £100 as new applicants.

EYE has asked HMRC to re-consider, saying it is unfair.

Most agents have until April 1 to register, as this was the date that HMRC took over responsibility for AML in 2014.

However, almost all of the agents who contacted EYE say that they have already been trying to re-register for weeks on end, without success, and have no chance of meeting Sunday’s deadline.

Some have said that they have received emails from HMRC telling them they have messages relating to their AML supervision – but have been unable to access the messages, and can only assume they are about the need to re-register.

Others have been informed that it will take 40 or 45 days to confirm whether or not they are registered.

An HMRC spokesperson said: 

“We are aware that a number of customers have forgotten or lost their log-in details, and we are assisting them to reset these so that they can access their AMLS accounts.

Businesses due to renew their registration are sent up to three emails in the 30 days before their renewal date, reminding them that they need to renew.
Once a business has paid and submitted their renewal, they are treated as registered regardless of how long it takes HMRC to review their submission.

For customers whose renewal year runs from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018 the online system will automatically cancel their registration if renewal hasn’t been made by midnight on 31 March. Once registration has been cancelled the business will need to reapply and pay a new application charge of £100 as well as their premises fees.”

I don't know, but it seems that HMRC haven't addressed the key issue, namely that agents can't seem to be able to register?

These are just some of the issues highlighted in emails to EYE:
* I am experiencing issues while trying to renew my registration. It all started last week when I partially completed the application. When I endeavoured to complete the process the following day their system would not allow me to ‘Continue’ as this link did nothing when trying to click it. Reported the problem online, received an automated reply and eventually another email with ‘ticket’ reference number and message stating an engineer will investigate.
* I have filled in all the required data and tried to re-register only to get message ‘membership being reviewed, allow 45 days for a reply’. Another reader was quoted 40 days.
* I keep getting emails that I have a message and to log in, but can’t log in as I haven’t got the my log-in details. I’m presuming the message is that I need to renew. (This specific problem was reported more than once.)
* The HMRC registration website is a complete joke, when you eventually do get through, it constantly rejects your payments or at least it appears to but you don’t know because it doesn’t acknowledge payments and of course you no longer get a registration document.
* I start the process but when I finish I am told that I have already registered under a different number. I am not told which number and the help email that follows offers insufficient assistance.
*We have 4 companies to register. 3 went through no problem but unable to do the 4th company as HMRC haven’t processed last year’s registration online and so won’t let me do this year’s. Have reported to HMRC who have promised to get back to me in the next 5 working days. I stipulated over the phone that this needs to be done by the 1st April.
* Having major problems trying to get into our AML account. We’ve tried retrieving the password, then trying to re-set the password, but no luck despite numerous attempts and phone calls to the HMRC helpline. After waiting ages, and being asked to make endless selections (press 1, 2, 3, 4 etc), we got through, but the HMRC helpline advisers don’t know where to direct our enquiries.
* Reader who is retiring from estate agency has been unable to access his account to de-register his business. Instead, he says he has been told to register again – which is of course absurd. However, as he has been warned that failure to re-register by the deadline means he will no longer be supervised by HMRC, he considers it “job done”.
* One agent, with a deadline different from April 1, was sent a letter saying he would be fined £1,000. This was after he spent two months trying to re-register. The agent has now managed to do this after the helpline gave him a new web-link: www.tax.service.gov.uk/anti-money-laundering

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 Leads The Way In Robotics

James Merrick-Potter, head of robotic automation at the Cabinet Office, is quoted by Computing as saying that HMRC is "leading the way for Government in using RPA [robotic process automation] to deliver real savings and service improvements… Their model is being mirrored by Cabinet Office to accelerate the use of RPA across government."

He added that HMRC is "at least two to three years ahead of the rest of Government" when it comes to robotics.

HMRC said:

"Leading the way in Government robotics, Cabinet Office recognises our approach as best practice.

Other government departments visit to learn from our experience and we have arranged licences for DWP and others to do proof-of-concept projects."

Now I don't know about anyone else, but this scares the hell out of me that HMRC is leading the way!

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's Childcare Service Failings

In June I noted that the private details of a number of childminders, including home addresses, have been published in error on HMRC’s Childcare Service website.

The details, which have since been removed from the website (which providers and parents must access for Tax-Free Childcare and the 30 hours) appeared on its 'Search for a Childcare Provider' page, despite the fact childminders had not given their permission for the data to be published.

It seems that this site has other issues as well.

Parents are required to use the dedicated HMRC website, which went live in April, to apply for the 30 hours and tax free childcare (TFC) schemes. CCH Daily reports that problems include an inability to verify the details of parents or their child, or salary information, and parents being locked out of their TFC accounts.

Nicky Morgan, chair of the Treasury committee and former education secretary, has written to HMRC head Jon Thompson, requesting detailed information on the issue.

This includes the proportion of website users receiving error messages, including the message ‘We’re experiencing technical difficulties. We don’t know when the service will be available again. Please try later.’

Morgan is also seeking information about the dates and times of outages since the system went live in April, the number of complaints to the helpline, and how long it has been taking to respond to calls.

Morgan said:

"It’s concerning that some parents have struggled to apply for childcare funding due to technical issues with the government’s childcare service website.

To make matters worse, it appears that the childcare service helpline, for parents suffering problems with the website, is also experiencing technical difficulties.

I have written to Jon Thompson at HMRC, which runs the website, to ask for further information, such as the duration of outages, the number of complaints, and the number of people who have been unable to access their childcare service account."

HMRC appear to be relaxed over the problems, as per its spokesman:

"We know that some parents and childcare providers have experienced difficulties accessing the service, and we are sorry about the inconvenience.

We've now made significant improvements based on customer feedback, and on average more than 2,000 parents are applying successfully every single day.

We continue to make updates to improve the customer experience and ensure everyone can easily access their account.

Parents and providers experiencing difficulties or needing technical support can phone the childcare service helpline on 0300 123 4097."

The question is, does reality fit with HMRC's view of its "progress"?

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's Digital Forms Service Down

Oh dear, it would seem that HMRC's trial Digital Forms Service is down for apparent "maintenance".

Unfortunately, HMRC doesn't seem to know when it will be back online.

Hi Andrew, we're replying through @HMRCcustomers, our customer support account. I'm sorry, I don't have a timescale. ^GS

— HMRC Customer Help (@HMRCcustomers) August 2, 2017

Bodes well for MTD does it not?!

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"

IT Exodus From Public Sector

IT contractors crash out of public sector following tax reforms #ir35 https://t.co/7rCXDeccfJ

— Andy Ball (@aball_localgov) July 20, 2017

No surprises there then!

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's Snooper Computer

The media are reporting details of HMRC's alleged new 'supercomputer' called Connect, that will be used to track down those who have under declared their tax liabilities.

The Connect system uses information from a range of government and corporate sources to create a profile of a taxpayer’s total income, rather than relying on what the taxpayer declares on their tax return.

When this information differs, the account is flagged up and could be the subject of a further investigation by HMRC.

Apparently Connect has been years in the making, and is thought to have cost £100 million to build.

As to whether reality matches the hype, only time will tell!

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"

Brexit Implications For Making Tax Digital

Per @thetimes leaving EU Customs Union wd mean HMRC wd need new IT system to track origin of imported goods. That'll be easy. #Brexit #Irony

— Heather Self (@hselftax) October 19, 2016

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 IT Delivery Programme Director

It's all go at HMRC these days, not only are they looking for a deputy IT director for cloud services but they are also looking to hire an IT Delivery Programme Director:

"HMRC is in the midst of what is probably its biggest transformation. By 2020 it will be one of the most digitally advanced tax administrations anywhere in the world, changing from legacy systems and a one supplier approach to a cloud and open source environment, with Agile working. 

This cutting edge technical evolution and business model will increase self-service through digital channels. HMRC is looking for a motivational IT Delivery Programme Director to lead a diverse portfolio of IT projects and programmes, shape the strategy of future IT delivery based around Agile methodology, supplier management and lead and shape the Project Delivery profession."

The post pays £120K, and the closing date is 22 July.

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 Has Its Head In The Clouds

In September 2015 I wrote that HMRC was seeking to recruit a "cloud transformation director":

"HMRC is looking for a cloud transformation director, and will pay up to £162,500 for the right person.

According to HMRC's advert, HMRC had a "vision" (how very messianic of it) for the provision of online, real-time services to be accessible from any device, any time using the latest cloud technology.

Hence HMRC is looking for an IT leader who is "up for the challenge of delivering transformation on a massive scale". 

Here we are in July 2016 (older but probably not any wiser) and, "oddly" enough, it seems that HMRC are now seeking a "deputy IT director for cloud services".

Isn't this overkill I hear you cry?

Errrm..... no it's not, for you see dear readers, the more senior role was never filled!

The new position is paying a "mere" £100,000 and the recruit will be responsible for migration onto the HMRC cloud platforms.

I wonder why HMRC thinks that cutting the salary by £63K will somehow ensure that a previously unfilled role will now be filled?

Anyhoo, the successful candidate (if one ever emerges) will report to the director of development, testing and operations and will line manage a team of around 50 staff.

The closing date for the HMRC role is 11 July, further details here.

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's Secret Online Verification System

Well now, here's a funny thing it appears that HMRC is pushing ahead with its own plans to build an online authentication portal following the decommissioning of the current Gateway portal in 2018.

This portal will be able to authenticate businesses, something the Government Digital Service's online authentication system Verify cannot do.

What is so "funny" about that I hear you ask?

Well it transpires that HMRC doesn't want the Cabinet Office to know that it's doing that.

Oops, now that it's in the public domain it will now know!

For why is it such a "secret"?

Apparently HMRC doesn't think that Verify is up to snuff; specifically it thinks it will be too slow and won't ever handle businesses. Additionally, HMRC doesn't think that Verify will be ready.

A spokesman for HMRC is quoted by The Register:

"The current Government Gateway will be replaced with a new version of the service. The replacement service will continue to support business and agent users into the future.

We know that GOV.UK Verify doesn’t work for all our customers yet. To make sure that everyone who wants to use digital services is able to, we’ve put in place a complementary service for those customers struggling to get online, which is based on Government Gateway but with an added 2-step verification process and identity check to further strengthen security.

The Government Gateway service will continue, although there will be improvements to security, design and usability delivered in a new version of Government Gateway. DWP is working with HMRC and other Government users to define the new service and when and how to achieve the move to the new version.

The replacement service will continue to support business and agent users into the future.”

Two systems, twice the cost?

This fark up doesn't appear to be HMRC's fault this time!

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's £200M Giveaway

HMRC has put £200M up for grabs by one lucky desktop services supplier as it attempts a major overhaul of its IT systems.

HMRC is looking for end user devices, application performance monitoring and virtual desktop services.

The contract will include overseeing mobile devices, such as those provided by Blackberry, as well as the software and hardware underpinning managed desktop services and video-conferencing equipment.

The notice says:

"This contract covers a range of commodity services such as management and support of end user devices, application packaging and deployment, IMACD ['Install, Move, Add, Change and Decommission'], administrative infrastructure, remote access, application performance monitoring and virtual desktops, but also includes some requirements bespoke to HMRC."

The contract will begin in 2017 and end in 2020, with the possibility of a two-year extension.

The department "is currently undergoing a significant period of transformation" therefore some of the details of the programme will not be available until later in the tender process. The closing date is 24 May 2016.

Good luck to all those who apply.

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"

Meet Lee Hawksworth - The New Head of Software Developer Collaboration

Lee Hawksworth has been appointed as HMRC's Head of Software Developer Collaboration.

He's not entirely sure what the role means, but is willing to give it a go!

As per his blog:

"It sounds great, but what does it really mean?  

Well, I might be better placed to answer that in a few weeks!"

Let's see how this pans out then!

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"