Topping Out HMRC In Nottingham

Insider Media reports that a major milestone has been reached at HMRC's new regional centre in Nottingham.

A topping out ceremony has been staged at the ten-storey Unity Square which is due to open in late 2021.

It should be noted that the original target was for it to open in the summer.

The HMRC hub was forward funded by LGIM Real Assets and the will eventually house up to 4,000 HMRC employees.

Representatives from HMRC and the site’s developers Sladen Estates and Peveril Securities attended the topping out event.

Nicole Newbury, HMRC director and senior sponsor for the Nottingham Regional Centre, East Midlands Region, said:

"We can’t wait to move into our new regional centre. The new building is so much more than just bricks and mortar, it represents an exciting opportunity for us to utilise new technology and develop collaborative, new ways of working.

HMRC colleagues are watching with interest as the build progresses, so it was great to attend the topping out ceremony to see the construction process first-hand - as well as being able to catch a glimpse of the incredible views across the city from the tenth floor."

Derek Gilby, senior fund manager at LGIM Real Assets, said:

"Unity Square is one of ten regional hubs Legal & General has invested in to support the government’s efforts to modernise the civil service and save taxpayers’ money. Its investment in the programme crossed the £1.5bn mark last year.

This scheme in Nottingham is particularly ground breaking not only because of its size and central location, but for its potential to transform the city centre, driving regional economic growth and supporting job creation."

Tax does have to be taxing.


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HMRC Tops Out Stratford Hub

Yesterday HMRC completed the topping out at the 12-storey office in Stratford, where HMRC will establish a new Regional Centre.

HMRC has also leased a further 58,000 sq. ft. to become the sole tenant of the 300,000 sq. ft. development next to Westfield Stratford City.

Work&Place reports that the topping-out ceremony was attended by senior executives from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, HMRC and Legal & General, which has funded the development. the offices are located above the shopping centre at Westfield Stratford City.

Works continue with completion of the facade and internal works, in preparation for handover of office floors for final fit out by HMRC.

Work on the new regional hub commenced in November 2017 and today’s announcement sees that deal extended to cover the entire building, which has been developed, constructed and leased by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. The development will accommodate approximately 4,400 HMRC employees from late 2020.

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



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HMRC's Staffing Brexit Boost

Civil Service World reports that HMRC is boosting the number of staff who will be based in its new regional hub in east London because of the department's increased Brexit-related workload.

HMRC signed a lease on new office space at Stratford at the end of 2017 with a view to basing 3,800 staff at the hub.

Thompson has now told staff that HMRC will take an additional three floors of the building and base 600 additional staff at Stratford, making it home to 4,400 full-time-equivalent workers.

So, if I understand this correctly, over the past few years HMRC has been making experienced staff redundant only now to start recruiting additional staff who have no experience?

Muddling its way through seems to be the HMRC modus operandi.

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 Croydon Hub - Troup Speaks

Edward Troup, executive chair and permanent secretary at HMRC, discussing yesterday's formal opening of HMRC's Croydon hub, told CCH Daily:

"HMRC has controlled the fit-out of the building entirely. The office is open plan and has different styles of working areas which we have been piloting in existing offices in Nottingham, Birmingham and Newcastle, which has taught us how different business areas work best."

He then went on to admit that savings will not be all that HMRC had cracked them up to be:

"We had initial projection of savings overall which have been refined over the years with the current estimate definitely being lower than what was set initially, but nevertheless there is still a financial saving."

He concluded by saying that PAC hadn't understood what HMRC was doing, and why it was doing it:

"Although it does have those savings I think where the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in a sense got the wrong end of the stick is that HMRC is doing this because as a business it cannot operate with lots of small offices. Collaboration and working as a team is absolutely essential."

A cynic might suggest that if PAC has not understood what HMRC is doing then it is because HMRC has not explained itself either clearly or honestly!

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"

Croydon Hub Officially Opens

@HMRCgovuk brand new Croydon hub is official open! pic.twitter.com/3PdVA9Au3h

— accountancy live (@accountancylive) September 12, 2017

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"

Joining The Dots of HMRC's Property Deals

Unsurprisingly, yesterday's article about HMRC's very expensive superhub in Cardiff has raised a few eyebrows and issues.

My thanks to a loyal reader for posting the following comment that highlights a few dots that need to be joined:

"Whoa there pilgrim, just a cotton picking minute, let's take a closer look at this afore ye spend all that "customer's" money!?

Who owns the Llanishen site? Thought Mapely did as per Wales On Line 13 Nov 2015 - The freehold interest in the current HMRC office site at Llanishen is owned by Mapeley Estates, following a private finance initiative agreement ...????

Surely that was why HMRC was paying for rent etc. on the site?

Then there is the matter of £20m (currently) for fitting out, so the lease is bare building? This is (currently) £5000/head just to fit out! WTF they having 22" plasma screens, gold plated loo's, FFS?! Piss off to IKEA, just a mile or 2 down the road and save yourself a few million!

Transport/parking infrastructure - all of a sudden 4.000 extra staff plus security, cleaners, deliveries etc. land upon the centre of Cardiff via train, bus, car, pedal, foot. Bloody trains have to queue now outside the station and Cardiff traffic is a nightmare for public and private transport.

Who is actually paying for this "range of benefits to people in Cardiff" ? Oh, that's all right then, it is only the end user that has to worry then, come back in 5 years time and see how much the real cost has reached!

Given the appalling track record of previous estate deals in this part of the public sector this needs a wee dig by an investigative journo' to establish VFM and whether basic business checks have been applied to such an amount of "customer expenditure".

Oh, yes, as these Muppets no longer FTF with their "customer" base, why the need for an expensive central location - vanity? Is there a common purpose associated with the development that remains hidden?

Answers on the back of a postage stamp please."

Oh, and don't forget (as per WalesOnline):

"The freehold interest in the current HMRC office site at Llanishen is owned by Mapeley Estates, following a private finance initiative agreement with the UK government. 

But that deal will expire around 2020. The land would then revert into UK government ownership."

2020 being the year that HMRC moves to its superhub.

There's irony for you!

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 Signs Largest Ever Office Deal In Wales

HMRC have made the record books in Wales, for agreeing the largest office deal ever seen in Wales.

HMRC will move to a new headquarters in the centre of Cardiff - at the heart of a new public sector hub that will employ 4,000.

HMRC, which currently has its main tax office in Wales in the Llanishen area of Cardiff, has signed up to a new 266,000 sq ft building in a major pre-let deal which marks the next phase of development at the Central Square regeneration scheme in the centre of the capital.

WalesOnline reports that it is scheduled for completed in late 2019, with HMRC moving into its new offices from 2020.

The 12 storey building will be known as 6 Central Square. It will be built by construction firm Robert McAlpine. However, there is the small matter of planning consent for the £100m project. A determination is expected next month.

The move will allow HMRC to sell its existing site in Llanishen for redevelopment, potentially for a housing led regeneration scheme. Some 3,600 HMRC staff (full-time equivalent) will be based in the HQ.

HMRC has agreed a 25-year lease for its new building at Central Square. It is understood there is no break clause and the rent - starting at around £16 a sq ft per annum - will be subject to rent reviews based on the then retail prices index measure of inflation every five years.

HMRC is also forward committing £20m to the fitout of the building.

Once completed the building's ownership with transfer to L&G's pension arm - for what is a prized investment asset, due to the strong covenant provided by a government organisation over 25-years with no break clause.

Minister for Government Resilience and Efficiency, Caroline Nokes, said:

“This Government is committed to delivering the best quality public services in every corner of the UK, and today’s announcement is an important step towards that.

This new lease is great news for Cardiff, and will deliver a range of benefits to people in Cardiff, from improved public space and transport to better access to the Principality Stadium from the station.”

Let us trust that the rent that HMRC pays is "reasonable" when compared to similar properties/locations. Let us also trust that the building remains fit for purpose for the expected 25 year rental period!


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 Now Moving Into Croydon Hub

HMRC staff have begun moving into 1 Ruskin Square, Croydon, as from 24 July.

CCH Daily reports that HMRC will occupy building one at Ruskin Square in Croydon on a 25-year lease. Building one is the first structure to have been completed with over 180,000 sq. ft. of office space.

The 600 HMRC staff who are already based in Croydon will be part of the move to the new regional hub.

HMRC said:

"As part of our transformation programme, the existing Croydon office will be closing by late 2017 and staff will relocate to the new regional centre development.

It is a new building and part of the Ruskin Square development in Croydon next to East Croydon station. It has been chosen for its easy-to-reach location, with excellent transport links and quick access to Central London and a design which will provide HMRC with the digital infrastructure required by a modern tax authority."

Good luck to all who sail in her!

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"

Welcome To Croydon - HMRC Regional Hub Summer Opening

HMRC has confirmed that it will move staff into its first regional hub in Croydon in south London this summer and plans to open the remaining 12 regional centres by 2022.

In a statement HMRC are quoted by CCH:

‘We are now very close to being able to announce the locations of a number of our regional centres – and we expect to have announced the majority of them by the end of the summer.

The nature of negotiations means that it is difficult to provide an exact date.

We have promised our staff that we will tell them first of the location as soon as we are able to, but we plan to provide updates too.’

Ironically the headquarters of HMRC will remain in Whitehall!

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"

Relocation, Relocation, Relocation!

The National Audit Office has today published a report that rubbishes HMRC's plans to reduce the costs of running its estate.

The NAO wants HMRC to adjust the scope and timings of the project, in order to reduce the risk of service disruption.

As of November 2016, HMRC was responsible for one million square metres of buildings across the country, making it the fourth-largest estate in central government. Annual estate running costs stood at £269m in 2015-16, which pays for the accommodation of 58,600 staff.

Under the programme, HMRC will transition from 170 widely dispersed offices to 13 regional centres, with an additional four specialist sites and a central London headquarters. This will see 137 offices close by 2021 and involve 38,000 employees moving to the regional centres or leaving the department altogether. Some may need to relocate by up to 174 miles if they want to keep their jobs.

The scale of the savings that HMRC can make is limited by its Private Finance Initiative contract with Mapeley, which does not expire until 2021.

Under this deal, HMRC sold its freehold properties, which amounted to two-thirds of the estate, to Mapeley for £370m, then immediately leased them back, with Mapeley providing facilities management and maintenance services.
 

Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, is quoted by Public Finance: 

“HMRC has improved the handling of its current contract with Mapeley and achieved better outcomes, though significant risks remains.

Looking ahead, HMRC has acknowledged its original plan for regional centres was unrealistic and is now re-considering the scope and timing of the programme.”

He advised HMRC to “step back and consider whether this strategy still best supports its wider business transformation and will deliver the sustainable cost saving it set out to achieve in the long run”.

The legacy of Mapeley!

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 Croydon Superhub

At the HMRC Stakeholder Conference Jon Thompson released details about the first new regional tax hub at Ruskin Square in Croydon.

It will, apparently, "become a centre of excellence for compliance that will cover London and the south east".

The hub will become one of Croydon’s largest employers with around 2,500 full time equivalent staff, and will open in 2017.

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"