Limited audience for HMRC letters

Why are these things being kept secret? Why was publishing this article delayed? Under what legal authority are HMRC using and what else is being hidden?

Why are the Accounting bodies and press playing along?

untrustworthy members?

It seems that the CIOT does not consider its members to be "trustworthy stakeholders"

Do you really want to be a member of an Institute that doesn't trust you? (with acknowledgements to Grouch Marx).

But anyway what can be in these drafts that is so sensitive?

The real question though is what will this actually achieve? And has HMG done a cost/benefit analysis? Did I read somewhere that that is a requirement for all new measures?

but why secret?
Yes, I understand that the CIOT feels obliged to keep the papers confidential after being told by HMRC to do so. But why does HMRC want to keep them confidential, and why does it feel it has the right to do so? What can be confidential about proposals to enact regulations that affect the general public?

Having 101 versions on the internet can lead to confusing…

One possible concerns the HMRC may be having, is that they don’t want drafts published all over the internet, as when the final text comes out, it is very possible the a Google search will still lead to a copy of the draft.   There is also the same issue if there are news paper articles quoting from the drafts.

(I am not saying this is a good reason to keep the drafts confidential, just that it is a factor to consider.)
 

Clearly no transparency

here then, with HMRC and all our prof bodies colluding to keep members in the dark.  And, by implication, we are not trustworthy! 

Mark my words, we will be in the same position re. Digital Tax Accounts too!

Thank you CIOT/ATT/ICAEW et al - great job you are doing for your members.

Hmmmm
Isn't that what we psy our subs for so the clever people at the institute can deal with the set up for us.

They will have on tell us what the wording says sooner or later otherwise no letters will be sent out....

Google search!

I always use a Google search when looking for documents on the HMRC website, because the HMRC search tool is useless and often throws up old documents first.  Google is far better for searching the HMRC website.

I can't believe the reasons for the secrecy on this issue and agree that our institutes should have fought this, not just rolled over regarding confidentiality and on the issue generally.  Why should an accountant be required to send out HMRC letters?

Think but this, and all is mended ...

If you accept the following assumptions:

HMRC think all taxpayers are dishonest

HMRC think all agents collude with tax payers to conceal this dishonesty

then the reasoning behind the letters (and MTD and so on) becomes apparent

Add to this  the fact that HMRC have the Govts. ear, and there you go

I presume

Customs and excise were also given a draft, considering a lot of agents pay subs to them in the form of "money laundering regulations".

This is dangerous nonsense

Let us assume that our supine representatives fail to get this nonsensical plan changed.

I will then need to write in prescribed terms to some of my clients, enclosing a standard letter from HMRC, which I will have to personally address to the client. Obviously, the clients will be told that this is an HMRC requirement and that the letters do not necessarily represent the views of me or my firm (which, as a previous contributor noted, will mean that it will be ignored). 

My bigger concern is that there has been nothing published which suggests that I am going to be required to advise HMRC of the letters that I have sent. (Otherwise, what is the point of the exercise?) Is this what the Institutes are keeping secret from us? That we are going to be expected to break client confidentiality by telling HMRC who we have written to?

I think that it is high time that we be told the truth by our so-called representatives.