07 Aug 2009
HMRC is thought to be looking at outsourcing the processing of tax returns to foreign companies in another drive to reduce costs, it has been reported.
The tax body and its Aspire consortium of IT contractors, which includes Capgemini and Fujitsu, are studying a range of options in order to save £200m a year, one of which is the offshoring of tax returns, most likely to India, reports tax-news.com
Although there are not yet specific proposals in relation to this option, it will raise concerns over the privacy of data, especially after the same body lost the details of 25 million people in 2007.
However, HMRC has insisted that under the terms of the Aspire contract, IT cannot be delivered from outside the UK, and that there are no plans to change this restriction.
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Visitor comments Add your comment
Tax Returns to go offshore
If the returns are handled as well as Pensions then this will be a disaster. It must not happen
Posted by: David Rockall, 07 Aug 2009 | 00:00
Oh No!!
Just crazy - more communication and administrative problems for the poor taxpayer, leading to yet more chaos!
HMRC please, please drop this stupid notion and keep it all here in the UK - better the devil you know than the devil you don't know!
Posted by: K J Stones FCCA FCMI, 07 Aug 2009 | 00:00
Tax returns to go offshore?
It's just the usual HMRC SNAFU. How do they get away with it?
Posted by: Chris Try, 10 Aug 2009 | 00:00
No! No! Please No!
This would be a true disaster. Concerns over security etc, etc. When there are so many people out of work in the UK then surely we should aim to keep the work here not outsource it.
Would it simply stop at processing only! Umm.........
Posted by: Ian Tompkins, 12 Aug 2009 | 00:00