HMRC propaganda - £26bn in extra tax last year?

[webberg]

Utter tosh.

HMRC delivered record tax revenues in 2014-15 - HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)

This press release is the source of a lot of articles that are appearing on the websites of various publications today and will be national press tomorrow.

(Odd that this appears on a Friday and at a weekend isn't it?)

It's the usual mix of twisted logic and media manipulation and unfortunately the press will lap this up and regurgitate it rather than apply any critical process.

I have made a response to one article and will post both article and response when I can.

I'm normally keen on countering such blatant propaganda in a cool, calm and professional way. However when HMRC say that they have collected several hundred million from avoidance/fraud/evasion (deliberately blurred) and NO admitting that this is just borrowed until a decision is made, it makes my blood boil (and I've not paid them!!!)

If you see articles based on this press release and there is a chance to comment - IT IS YOUR MORAL OBLIGATION TO DO SO.

[dangerouswhensober]

There is one other inconvenient statistic they seem to have glossed over.

There was a target to issue 45,000-50,000 APNs starting last July and ending next March (2016). As of March this year, HMRC themselves admitted they had issued 7,500 APNs, albeit to the largest (HMRC-perceived) tax avoiders.

I would guess that, assuming they are still issuing at the same rate, then the current figure is 10,000-10,500 APNs issued.

So ... waaaay behind schedule for completion next March ...

I strongly suspect that we will see a new time-scale announced in the near future.

(And that is even accounting for the extra resources to HMRC that Mr Osborne announced in his recent Budget speech).

Implications are that those pesky avoiders (like me) who were expecting to have to pay up some time in 2016 might have a little more time to save up and/or flog the children on Ebay ...

[DonkeyRhubarb]

I think HMRC are in a bit of a mess over APNs. Officers manning the phones freely admit there is chaos in the APN teams.

A lot of people, in receipt of APNs, have been making representations. HMRC have been losing letters, even those sent recorded/special delivery and signed for. People are being asked to resend them by FAX.

Users of our scheme have been told they have stopped issuing APNs in our case. Some people had received the precursor letter and phoned up to find out why they hadn't received any APNs.

My prediction, last year, of an omnishambles seems to have come true.

[regron]

My prediction of an omnishambles seems to have come true.

Oh to be a fly on the wall of those offices right now

[Underbase]

Oh to be a fly on the wall of those offices right now

Maybe they need to hire some more contractors.

[smalldog]

Maybe they need to hire some more contractors.

[DotasScandal]

If you see articles based on this press release and there is a chance to comment - IT IS YOUR MORAL OBLIGATION TO DO SO.

1000 times this.
I hardly see any comments on online media on tax / APN related articles. Why? Come on guys, do the effort.