HMRC loses records of West Country accountant
Bishop Fleming partner's records lost, despite his circumstances having been unchanged for more than a decade
A PARTNER at West Country firm Bishop Fleming has launched a stinging attack on HM Revenue & Customs after he received a letter advising the government department was “unable to trace” his records.
David Savill, who has been the head of owner-managed business services at the firm for a decade, has not moved from his Taunton home for the past 17 years.
“Having paid considerable sums in tax every year for three decades, and not having moved home for 17 years, I could not believe that HMRC has managed to lose my tax record”, he said.
He added the incident had reinforced his resolve that direct debt recovery powers – which allow the taxman to take tax owed from the accounts of persistent non-payers – should not be allowed to happen.
He added: “Despite the millions of tax assessments that they get wrong each year, HMRC has been seeking the power to grab funds from our bank accounts. I’m an accountant, so I’ve been ardent in providing HMRC with my tax submissions every year. But, somehow, they’ve managed to lose track of me on their radar screen.
“If they can make so simple an error in my case, it underlines my belief that they should not be permitted to have their proposed power to grab money from the bank accounts of tax-payers that they decide have under-paid.”
HMRC said it is unable to comment on identifiable taxpayers.