Oh Dear: Taxman wants power to fingerprint suspects

[TheMonkey]

That's great news. Thanks to an accident in a chemisty lesson, I have no fingerprints on one hand at least. Just got to do the other one.

[expat]

That’s strange, I went to an evil axis country Cuba, I had to give them my name and address and that was it. No crime, could wonder anywhere on the Island (apart from the American bit) kind helpful people, no muggings. Umm

I went there too. They didn't even ask me if I was or ever had been a member of the communist party.

[Pondlife]

LR here we come.

[The Lone Gunman]

Ohhh soapy tit wank.................... I'm off...............

[AtW]

Whose' that - threaded's girlfriend?

[hyperD]

Eh? What do you mean of course? Has she got a gigantically enormous head?

Artist's impression

[Clog II The Avenger]

LB, when wife and I went to New York a few months ago, we had our fingerprints and faces scanned. No questions, no pack drills.

My wife obviously had to stand quite a way back from the camera, of course...

That’s strange, I went to an evil axis country Cuba, I had to give them my name and address and that was it. No crime, could wonder anywhere on the Island (apart from the American bit) kind helpful people, no muggings. Umm

[xoggoth]

Eh? What do you mean of course? Has she got a gigantically enormous head?

[hyperD]

LB, when wife and I went to New York a few months ago, we had our fingerprints and faces scanned. No questions, no pack drills.

My wife obviously had to stand quite a way back from the camera, of course...

[Lucifer Box]

HM Revenue and Customs wants stronger powers to investigate tax crime including authority to take fingerprints to avoid delays in finding a police constable, the right to charge suspects, and simplified procedures for obtaining search warrants.

A consultation document setting out how the powers and accompanying safeguards used in the investigation of tax crime could be modernised was published by HMRC yesterday.

HMRC is responsible for investigating suspected criminal activity across the whole range of its responsibilities, including investigating tax credit fraud and VAT fraud, which can involve organised crime.

HMRC is seeking views on applying the relevant provisions in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) across all its activities. Currently, those powers and their associated safeguards are only available for specific taxes and duties. Having the same law apply across the board will be clearer for those under investigation* and will increase the effectiveness of HMRC's investigations, argues the authority.

Taxman wants power to fingerprint suspects

*Nice to know it's for our own benefit.

I seem to recall concerns being raised at the time of the merger that HMC&E's powers of arrest, etc would seep across to the IR section. Of course, we were assured this would not happen as it was not appropriate.