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Desparate taxmen
Instruct clients, as we have ours for years, to simply refer the Revenue to ourselves and refuse to enter into any discussion or agree anything.
Where clients have entered into discussions directly we have more than once smply ceased to act for that client as we are not prepared to second guess what a client may or may not have said.
Dis-engage
I like the way HMRC say they do not want to dis-engage tax advisers. No not much. Why are HMRC continually coming out with this sort of garbage when they should know by now that their divide and conquer tactics have been rumbled ages ago?
I'm waiting for the piece of legislation that says at certain meetings advisers or agents wiil not be allowed to take part!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Eternal Triangle
Threesomes are fun;)
http://hmrcisshite.blogspot.com/2010/03/eternal-triangle.html
Ken Frost
Nothing new
This may be a "new pilot" but I have had several reports of HMRC out and about and contacting taxpayers directly.
HMRC say that they are mindful of the 64-8 issue as alluded to above. The sensible (and practical) thing is to brief all your clients and ask them to contact you if they are contacted by HMRC.
Like it or not HMRC has now got wide powers of inspection and we have to work within this regime.
Virtual tax know how and support for accountants: www.rossmartin.co.uk
Insurance implications?
If the contact is not through advisors, and the client makes a response, I am concerned that this may negate the fee insurance the client has taken out for just such an eventuality.
Certainly going back at least fifteen years...
...I can recall Officers doing "till checks" by just walking into shops, claiming they have the right to do on the spot till checks and warning of consequences for non-compliance. In the days when VAT Officers had some integrity it was sorted with a quick call tot he over eager Officer's boss.
However, these days it is an opportunity to "create" the evidence of taxpayer admissions that will be used as either the basis for a serious enquiry and results in a large settlement/costly defence.
The same cash handling businesses without till rolls still have the highest risk. Best defence is the same, good accounting records, till rolls, and only communicating with the Revenue through an agent.
But as HMRC know, there aren't too many business owners who have the guts and knowledge to stand up to a couple of Officers quoting unspecified laws and threatening consequences for failure to comply with ..... "reasonable requests" to look at information and ask loaded questions for the purposes of inventing evidence to base silly assessments upon.