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Open Tax Data Plans Do Not Make Sense
I was shocked to read that HMRC plans to release tax data to third parties. I cannot see how this benefits academics or researchers? As stated, they have mishandled tax data in the past, so where is the guarantee our tax information will not end up in the wrong hands? We at SimpleTax cannot see the sense in this and would never find a reason to share our customers data with anyone; it should remain private and secure.
Joan Lockwood
Lack of understanding on the topic
Anonymised data is relatively easy to create. That's what survey data does every day of the week.
We were doing it 25 years ago based upon analysis of our portfolio. Very useful in things like investigations but also useful in benchmarking clients' performance.
Anonymised data
In my experience - anonymised data is also (sometimes) easy to decrypt. I have seen a pdf where data was redacted. Simply opening the pdf in Adobe and using the select tool I was able to select the black redactions and delete them - showing the redacted information in all its glory.
Given historic HMRC performance, and government IT competence generally, my expectations of them not making some similar error when redacting data are pretty low.
It's not anonymity but accuracy that bothers me
Given that swathes of earnings data supplied by employers under RTI and payments into HMRC by employers are being corrupted by HMRC's core systems it's the accuracy of the data that would bother me, not sure how we are running the country using it at the moment! Stephen timms' PQ earlier this year highlighted the massive discrepancy between expected and actual tax receipts
Trial period
I am not persuaded one way or the other over the benefits of this. I would like to see a reasonably long trial run using subjects who can be trusted. Accordingly, I would propose a 5 year trial involving all MPs, all employees of HMRC and whichever bunch of management consultants came up with this.
Trial Period (2)
I agree with mccabesworld, if it is to go ahead, it should be trialled using their own data before they put mine out there.
However, I have no confidence whatsoever that the data they do release will remain confidential and/or anonymised/encrypted for any length of time.
HMRC really should concentrate more of their time and efforts into RTI and its IT systems before they release ANYTHING to ANYONE.
I have had several employees who joined my company last year, who remained on emergency tax or Week 1k/Month 1 tax codes for the remainder of the tax year even though RTI is supposed to eliminate this.
HMRC have no more idea where workers are now than they ever have done, and RTI hasn't improved that situation, it has made it worse..
I wouldn't pay them in washers!
"Principally credit scoring"
How can anonymised data be used for credit scoring which, as I understand it, is used on an identifiable individual basis?
Something doesn't read right here. Or what am I missing?
Trade figure data is already released in an anonymised format
HM Revenue and Customs have been providing anonymised data from the trade figures it collects for many years and I'm not aware of any problems arising from this.
Anonymised Data
I have never heard of the phrase Anonynised data until today, lets face it your local council sells your data, your insurance Company may sell your data, Companies house may sell your data, HMRC have just joined the list, its not what you want though.