Accountancy - A spiteful profession?

Accountancy - A spiteful profession?

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Constantly, I'm amazed by the high levels of malice, envy, jealously and sheer hatred for their clients displayed by the accountants who post comments on these pages. 

Reports of tribunals finding against HMRC in favour of a tax payer often provoke a flurry of " I'm sure he probably was guilty" statements, or else bitterly jealous comments on the individual's wealth or class.  You can also see this corrosive loathing of clients emerge during debates on the morality of tax avoidance ( perfectly legal by the way), and the plethora of calls for yet higher taxes be levied on rich and successful business people often for no other reason than " That'll teach 'em"  

It is also clear from these comments that many accountants - far too many - regard themselves as vigilante gauleiters for HMRC, although I recognise that this may be due to an abnormally high level of petty minded individuals in the profession lusting after a semblance of power.

This is all very well, except for one thing: clients pay your fees. Despite token statements about " helping our business succeed" companies and wealthy individuals only employ accountants for one thing - to reduce their tax liability.Otherwise, we'd all simply hand our books over to HMRC and let them asses our liability - turfing all accountants onto the unemployment register. 

So, my question is: instead of tying itself into knots while spouting pompous and pious nonsense, trying to find an imaginary line where tax avoidance becomes immoral, isn't it about time that the accountancy profession took a long hard look at its own culture ?  Where is this toxic loathing for clients coming from ?  What sort of people is the profession now attracting ? And most importantly of all, are these embittered and warped individuals damaging the reputation - and the earning potential -  of the profession as a whole ? 

      

Replies (11)

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By uktaxpal
20th Aug 2012 08:59

Not me-MAKE MORE CIVIL SERVANTS REDUNDANT!

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Replying to Sparkly:
Quack
By Constantly Confused
20th Aug 2012 10:16

!

Mike Bassy wrote:

Constantly, I'm amazed by the high levels of malice, envy, jealously and sheer hatred for their clients displayed by the accountants who post comments on these pages.


 

Paranoia always sets in when people start their rants with my name...

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By bernard michael
20th Aug 2012 09:18

Are you an accountant in practice?

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By justsotax
20th Aug 2012 09:19

K2 provider by

any chance?

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By ireallyshouldknowthisbut
20th Aug 2012 09:20

Hi Mike,

nice trolling.

Slow day in the office?

Regards,

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Replying to cheekychappy:
By gerrysims
20th Aug 2012 09:52

DM journalist

Ah I get it now. You're a DM journalist. You make up a tale then get angry about it.

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Locutus of Borg
By Locutus
20th Aug 2012 10:25

What leads you to your conclusions?
Are you speaking from personal experience? It appears from your posting that you are rather embittered by your experience.

I like most of my clients most of the time and suspect my clients feel much the same. I don't really recognise the picture you appear to paint of accountants wanting their clients to pay the maximum amount of tax.

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By ACDWebb
20th Aug 2012 11:27

To others considering responding

It may be worth your while checking back at the OP's history of annual rants before being drawn further

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By thomas34
20th Aug 2012 11:48

What a Bizarre Post

I'm glad my clients don't see my only task as being to reduce their tax liability or I wouldn't have many left.

As ACDWebb has observed this seems to say more about the OP than about the hard working people that contribute to this forum.

 

 

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Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
20th Aug 2012 12:34

Assuming you're serious..

I don't recognise any of that hyperbole as applying to this site, can you give examples to illustrate how such a culture is rampant?

"companies and wealthy individuals only employ accountants for one thing - to reduce their tax liability" not this accountant they don't.  If the profession was full of accountants who recognise and promote that sentiment then I'd tend to agree, something is mighty wrong.

 

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By User deleted
20th Aug 2012 13:19

Should have known

And there was me thinking this was a post by the other old whinger (him of the multiple personalities but limited vocabulary!). But no, Mike Bassy is back for his little wind-up post. Bless. Cheers Mike, you made me laugh :)

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