HMRC annual report triggers cyber red alert
Outdated tech at HMRC is highlighted in its annual accounts as potentially leading to calamitous failure. Bill Mew thinks that if HMRC was an aircraft, we’d all be advised to return to our seats and assume the brace position now.
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Took me a moment to get that! Those were the days...
If HMRC were an aircraft it would have been grounded and de-certified a long time ago.
They take aviation safety seriously.
You don't need Hugo you got me.
Wow who would have thought that HMRC is heading for Calamitous failure. Perhaps HMRC should read the posts on here to get an idea of how bad they are. I suppose that they thought MTD would solve all their problems and if they had not made it mandatory and worked with us that might well have been the case.
Even if they had continued with "agent strategy" things might not be as bad.
There is only one answer for HMRC and that is to allow us to take over the admin and let them investigate and collect. (yes I know I keep harping about it).
So Hugo what's your take on it?
Brace position with James Harra in the cockpit ? They would probably have overlooked packing the oxygen masks and life jackets.
"brace position with James Harra in the cockpit"
Is he actually in the cockpit?
What is really required is a complete overhaul of the Tax System (preferably to massively reduce its complexity) and adapt/create systems that are designed for the job.
Having said that, this would probably throw millions of Civil Servants out of their jobs which no Government would do, so whilst the wizz-kids are always looking at new ways to do things quicker and easier, the collateral damage needs to be seriously considered otherwise the problems will be significantly more than just a crashed aircraft.
Brace position with James Harra in the cockpit ? They would probably have overlooked packing the oxygen masks and life jackets.
Based on the MTD model, if Harra is in the cockpit then the passengers would be flying the pane.
Based on the MTD model, if Harra is in the cockpit then the passengers would be flying the pane.
Yes very good, but also remembering that the passengers have no formal training or qualifications for flying the plane either.
Can't honestly say I am surprised. HMRC senior management take their orders from politicians who only ever have a short term horizon. Politicians as an entity tend to be sucked into election focused policies rather than sound management ones. This is displayed almost daily in failed government projects. The latest example being HS2. MTD fits into that mould, especially as it needs to communicate with so many other systems that have similar legacy problems.
HMRC's old software might be a security risk, but the new software is not fit for purpose. Therefore HMRC is replacing one risk (security), with another risk (the software doesn't do the job that is required of it). Compare the ASA with the old agent account, or the new VAT registration service with the old. Not only does the new software lack the functionality of the old, it isn't integrated with what it should be, for example 30/60-day CGT. HMRC think MTD ITSA will solve these problems, but MTD is the reason we have the ASA problems, and won't do anything to fix HMRC's tax administration.
"An emphasis on diversity over competence has meant that few public-sector chief information officers (CIOs) actually have any coding skills."
I disagree. The emphasis in all sectors has always been on ambition over competence. People always get promoted away from the coal-face stuff they are really good at, whether that is teaching or coding.
"An emphasis on diversity over competence has meant that few public-sector chief information officers (CIOs) actually have any coding skills."
I disagree. The emphasis in all sectors has always been on ambition over competence. People always get promoted away from the coal-face stuff they are really good at, whether that is teaching or coding.
Yes and no. The activity of "coding" is one of many skills required to get working systems within both cost and timescale. I'd put "coding" as being only a minor risk contributor. Agreeing a specification, understanding the specification, being able to split up the specification into functions, preferably functions that can be used more than once. Extracting the range of inputs and outputs to these functions must handle, agreeing test criteria are all riskier activities.
As for patching - almost inevitable in an institution such as HMRC - Good designers should take patching into account in their design and analysis process. You don't end up with a working skyscraper by just piling bungalows one on top of the other.
And why didn't this all blow up in 2015? Twenty-plus official releases of HMRC's own SA software, each one more and more panic-driven than the last - inevitably ending in a complete crash and burn.
It is not as if the SA computation is complicated.
[Fourth time lucky? Why does AW keep trashing then reposting my posts? Apart from the obvious!]
When will this country get a grip of anything!! Our politicians constantly let us down!!
But don't worry you still have to contribute a large proportion of your earnings to the treasury so that it can throw it away on god knows what!!
For once I do not blame the government. Fat layers of management run these departments and it is they who are responsible and accountable for what goes on. Harra has slopey shoulders saying the government under-estimated MTD (the one that is currently 5x OVER budget and still not done.). No Jim is it entirely your fault - you have the CEO badge so it's your fault.
They should privatise HMRC. Things would get done, more money in the government coffers, and tax evaders would not be able to sleep at night through worry.