Where Squatteth The Toad of Truth in HMRC?

ContractorCalculator reports that HMRC has conceded it is unable to substantiate claims that the contractor press has misrepresented comments by HMRC officials concerning ‘blanket rulings’ in response to the public sector Off-Payroll rules.

Documented in the minutes to the 21 November 2018 IR35 Forum meeting, HMRC alluded to ‘articles posted online in the contractor press’, which it claimed had made ‘allegations against a named HMRC individual’, adding: ‘HMRC was clear that it is inappropriate for an official to be named, and that the articles had misrepresented what had been said.’

However, in responding to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from ContractorCalculator, HMRC acknowledged that it had no supporting evidence to support its claims.

This comes just a week after tax barrister Keith Gordon published a letter written to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, in which he expressed concern about HMRC’s integrity, noting:

‘It is my view that no-one can safely rely on the veracity or accuracy of any statement uttered by HMRC on the mere basis that the statement is being made by a public servant.’ 

Quite!

This may well be applicable to other matters pertaining to HMRC, various in house "problems"/screw ups and the behaviour of some of its staff.

Therefore I ask:

Where squatteth the Toad of Truth in HMRC?

Tax does have to be taxing.

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Homer To Take The Stand

Lin Homer will be giving evidence on Monday wrt off payroll deals, as per Exaro News:

"Witnesses to give evidence on Mon on ‘off payroll’ contracts include HMRC chief exec Lin Homer + Treasury perm sec Sir Nicholas MacPherson."

Tax does have to be taxing.




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Tax Investigation for Dummies, by Nick Morgan, provides a good and easy to read guide for anyone caught up in an HMRC tax investigation. A must read for any Self Assessment taxpayer.

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HMRC To Investigate Some Off Payroll Deals

Exaro News reports that HMRC will launch an investigation into the widespread practice of civil servants working ‘off payroll’.

The investigation into the "off payroll" arrangements will commence within a few months, and will focus on the “highest-risk cases” of suspected tax underpayment by senior public officials.

An HMRC spokesman told Exaro:

“Where there are question marks, we shall look at those cases and take action.” 

He said that HMRC was already starting to “risk profile” individuals identified by the Treasury review.

“We shall be looking through the list.

If they stand out as ‘high risk’, we shall be taking action as soon as possible.”

Given that some of HMRC's staff are also "off payroll":

"HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced that nine staff has been paid ‘off-payroll’ and that since the discovery by Exaro News three of these positions have ended. 350 contracts that have paid civil servants ‘off-payroll’ have also ended; 35 civil servants have continued working under new terms and conditions." 

I wonder if HMRC will also be investigating them?

I suspect not, as HMRC have the get out clause of "high risk" and also will not be pursuing those whose arrangements have been sanctioned by HMRC.

In other words HMRC has placed itself outside of its own investigation.


Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

What is TAXWISE?

TAXWISE 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 Taxwise



Tax Investigation for Dummies, by Nick Morgan, provides a good and easy to read guide for anyone caught up in an HMRC tax investigation. A must read for any Self Assessment taxpayer.

Click the link to read about: Tax Investigation for Dummies

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"