'We improve together, or we do not improve at all' By Rebecca Benneyworth

A great post Rebecca but can you add some meat? I got to the end and felt as though I'd only had the starters. I'm sure there's a lot to unpack.

OK, a historic event/day, but in realty are they giving us a lip service or are they genuine? That is my thought. I cannot see or envisage that HMRC would change its course or make a U turn especially when they have bull dozed us with red tapes eg confiscating monies from our bank accounts, obtaining info about overseas accounts and even telling me that I have overseas accounts and properties from Hong Kong to the US.

HMRC have a very long way to go and it is better that they start to take forward steps instead of backward ones. Could this be a new dawn?

Until our convoluted and obscure tax system is simplified no amount of getting into bed with HMRC is going to solve the fundemental tax question - how much tax is evaded and why are (800,00?) tax returns still not returned every year.
HMRC should be banging on the door of 10 Downing street, that's where the chief culprit lives!

The full text of all of the speeches plus a webcast will be made available on the ICAEW website this week. That should give those who want more some further background. (Apologies for my rather LOUD jacket!)

I will also add that the doubt expressed by Peter over whether HMRC are serious about this I also expressed, but in fact I do believe that they are - you will see from my transcript why I think that is.

same xxxx different day!

the only way we will make progress is continuining to kick those people responsible for the vat (registration debacle) firmly and constantly up the backside.

a loy of people are being put though unnecessary stress and suferring financial loss

I WANT THOSE RESPONSIBLE HELD TO ACCOUNT - I AM NOT INTERESTED IN THEIR SPINNING - NAME AND DEMOTE ALL THOSE RESPONSIBLE.

I THINK A REQUEST UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT IS REQUIRED REBECCA WILL YOU PLEASE MOVE TO THAT END

Remember "Working Together"! In our local area this disappeared without trace years ago. The Revenue has no intention of listening to the profession. It is all PR. They pretend to listen and then do what they want anyway. Trusts is a great example. Have they listened to the profession on tax simplication!! Of course not.
I would recommend not collaborating with the revenue at all. Let them get on and do what they want. They will anyway. We as professionals should then battle them on all fronts. Confrontational! Of course it is.

Rebecca, your article does not encourage me! Recently, I have had several top executives of HMRC, including Dave Hartnett, refuse to discuss with me two mistakes of national significance, about which I have provided detailed information to them. Dave Hartnett claimed in a letter to me that the points had been discussed and that they did not agree with me -- which I had already pointed out to him is what his colleague had stated. I have replied to him repeating, once again, that that is wrong; no such discussion has occurred and that it looks as if they know I am right but are not willing to admit it!

One mistake is their failure publicise their policy on the date on which a VAT return is due, when the end of the month is a weekend or a bank holiday and their repeated failure to apply that policy in individual cases -- as if many of their staff do not even know it.

The other mistake is the refusal to publicise their policy concerning the services of an actor to an overseas film production company. That policy is claimed to exist but there is no written guidance about it either to their own staff or to the public; indeed such guidance as there is suggests that such a supply is outside the scope. Yet, HMRC refuse to say anything more until they get a tribunal decision on an assessment, based on what they allege is their policy. That, in the meantime, many people know nothing about the risks they are running, should HMRC win, is unfairness, which HMRC are ignoring. They refuse to confirm their alleged policy in a Business Brief.

I fear that the poor relationship between HMRC, the professionals and their clients is due to several factors, of which the most important is that civil servants do not understand the value of working actively with private-sector people, who are willing to help them. Certainly, they will not work with me despite my detailed comments time and again about the mistakes they are making -- and I have seen no sign of them responding to the efforts of others who have also tried.

It is important in business that you tell your staff what they need to do, give them authority to do it including to relate to suppliers and customers and back them up with guidance and assistance as needed. Civil servants seem not to understand that; moreover, they tend not to want to take decisions or to have any personal responsibility for anything.

I have not yet been able to see the full transcripts of what was said. However, your comments suggest that Dave Hartnett was producing the same vague remarks and theoretical ideas which I have heard him produce before. If a top executive cannot produce practical ideas and generate real enthusiasm, there is no hope of success. Thus, I believe that Dave Hartnett lives in fairy land!

A. St John Price FCA