Big business should share HMRC's burden, says Hartnett
10 Nov 2011, Jaimie Kaffash, AccountancyAge
http://www.accountancyage.com/aa/news/2124260/business-share-hmrcs-burden-hartnett
DAVE HARTNETT has urged big business to relieve HM Revenue & Customs from "bearing the brunt" of public anger by increasing their own transparency.
Permanent secretary for tax Hartnett, was the subject of a protest by UK Uncut at the LexisNexis Tax Journal conference on Wednesday concerning lost revenue from deals struck with Vodafone and Goldman Sachs.
After the protestors left the building, Hartnett told the conference: "Maybe I can make a single comment on that. At the moment, I and my colleagues are bearing the brunt of [the protest]. I think a challenge for business and those that advise business, is what you want to do if you value the relationship, because we are bearing it on our own."
His statement was followed by a round of applause from the delegates.
Hartnett indicated that much of the controversy surrounding the Vodafone deal came because the sum that the phone company provisioned for the tax bill was significantly higher than the tax bill itself.
"It would be fantastic if business leaders who have a good understanding of provisioning and difficulties could say a bit more about why there is difficulty. I think everyone in this room understands it, but the public at large needs to understand it," he said. "I think [UK Uncut] just don't get it, or don't want to get it. We could do with some help there."
The "complete lack of transparency" in some accounts was "common", he said. "All the developed countries have taxpayer confidentiality rules and we are all looking to big business to have greater transparency. Not to answer all questions, but to give [the public] a little more information to stop some of the problems that lack of transparency causes," he concluded.
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Visitor comments
What relationship?????
15 years ago, there was a relationship. Advisors could speak to someone who knew what they were doing and, while maybe not procedurally correct were able to see what was being discussed, what the outcome would be and make the relevant adjustments.
Efforts to 'streamline''be transparent' and all the jingoistic buzzwording possible cannot hide the fact that HMRC's left hand does not know what it's right hand is doing, and most of the receptionists youi have to speak to can only do what their computer tells them, because they know nothing either. Then there is the disclaimer, not to mention what feels like a 10 minute wait to get a general query answered (are ALL the statistics really necessary???)
Couple this with an almost militant incompetence and a sysytem that cannot deal with anything other than a meat grinder approach, and you get what we have today.
Oh..let's not forget the media. The public protest because (as well as the factors above) our media never lets commonsense and fact get in the way of a good story/frenzy whipping.
Yes, dealing with HMRC sure isn't what it once was. And sure isn't much by way of fun.
Posted by: One of the Great Unwashed... , 11 Nov 2011 | 09:23
Total disaster
Mr Hartnett has done a dreadful job of running HMRC and the Government is only interested in taking on easy targets i.e. small businesses and is happy to do deals with large firms and their highly paid advisers. A total disgrace!
Posted by: Mervyn , 11 Nov 2011 | 12:31
do they want us to all of their job for them
Businesses are unpaid tax collectors anyway - how much do the bureaucrats want? Do they want us to do all their work for them?
Mind you, keep some of your angst for the Uncut movement. If they work then they have a job because of a profitable business; if they are receiving benefits then these are paid out of taxes paid by profitable businesses- so stop being ungrateful for the money that profitable business contributes.
Posted by: Jonathan Vowles , 14 Nov 2011 | 17:01