CIOT's Whiting issues 'name and shame' warning to HMRC

The CIOT’s head of tax management has warned that the taxman’s new naming and
shaming policy must be watertight if genuine taxpayers are to be kept out of the
firing line.

John Whiting, Chairman of the CIOT’s Management of Taxes Sub-Committee, said:

‘The proposition naturally raises concerns over ensuring that it is only used
in appropriate circumstances.’

The CIOT said the idea of ‘naming and shaming’ deliberate tax defaulters was
‘hard to argue’ with but Whiting identified a number of issues the taxman would
have to ensure did not crop up:

‘A question for HMRC is what controls will there be over ensuring that
someone who is affected by an HMRC mistake does not get into this sanction? And
if HMRC do make a “naming” mistake, would proper compensation be paid? ‘

He also stressed that in a genuine dispute with HMRC about the treatment of
some tax matters, this new power should not be used as a threat to settle.

Further reading:

Name
and shame initiative may violate human rights