HMRC Powers and Taxpayer Safeguards - Hansard

The announcement of changes and reviews into how HMRC is granted and uses its wide and powerful weapons is very welcome.

We are pleased to have played a very small part in bringing this about.

Whilst I would have wanted the language and the terms of reference and the professional standards board to be executive rather than advisory, we have to accept that this is a baby step in the right direction.

I do worry that this is also HMRC policing itself and would not be surprised if the result of the feedback is that they are all great people doing a fantastic job.

Whether this comes too late to help thousands of contractors who are reaching the end game of their enquiries after a mere 18 years, remains to be seen.

The announcement is a lot of words but little action as well. So a bit of a curates egg of a position but one that now places the emphasis upon us to make the most of it.