CIoT award for Whiting

THE TAX DIRECTOR of the Office of Tax Simplification and former CIoT president John Whiting has become the fourth person to be awarded the CIoT’s Council Award.

Whiting is a regular speaker and commentator on the simplification of the tax code, regularly appearing on various news programmes. In 2008, he received an OBE in recognition of the work he has done to raise the profile of the tax profession and furthering the understanding of the tax system.

Alongside his role at the Office of Tax Simplification, he is a non-executive director at HM Revenue & Customs. From 2009 until 2013, he was the CIoT’s tax policy director – the first to hold the post – having prior spent 25 years as a partner at PwC.

CIoT president Stephen Coleclough said: “At a time when the tax profession has taken a lot of criticism – much of it unwarranted – from politicians and commentators, John is the kind of person who gives tax advisers a good name and whose career shows the difference a determined and gifted practitioner can make.

“Tax simplification has long been a cause celebre for the CIoT, with John at the forefront of those working for it. We were all delighted when the new government set up an Office of Tax Simplification in 2010 and even more delighted when the chancellor asked John to lead it. Under John’s guidance the OTS has already broken major ground in working up the sorts of reforms the system needs.”