TAX POLICY ADMINISTRATION

MPs are set to consider whether to ‘formally call’ for Dave Hartnett to step down as HMRC’s top tax official over his handling of disputes with large companies, The Times has reported.

Dave Hartnett’s speech at yesterday’s Tax Journal conference was interrupted by protestors from UK Uncut. Dressed as ‘executives from Vodafone and Goldman Sachs’, the protestors staged a ‘mock thank you’ for Hartnett’s role in settling recent tax...

Dame Lesley Strathie has stepped down as HMRC’s Chief Executive due to ill health, the department has announced. She was diagnosed with cancer in July and has decided to step down to concentrate on her treatment. 

Arrangements for appointing a successor will be announced shortly.

Fifty-three disclosures of tax avoidance schemes were received by HMRC in the six months to 30 September 2011. There were 131 disclosures in the financial year to 31 March 2011, and 189 in the previous year.

 

‘Very mixed’ messages about ‘Digital by Default’ seem to be coming from HMRC, according to the Chartered Institute of Taxation. ‘We think HMRC are going further than the Cabinet Office guidelines,’ the CIOT said in response to the recent...

Jennie Rimmer, formerly Head of Tax for Lockton International, has joined Aspen Insurance as Group Head of Tax with effect from 31 October. 

HMRC has announced the launch of five new task forces to tackle tax evasion by:

Three quarters of private businesses interviewed by PwC for a recent survey said the UK tax regime was unsupportive of enterprise, the firm announced.

A new HMRC leaflet is designed to help the newly self-employed budget for their first tax bill. A table ‘will show you how much money to set aside to meet your tax and Class 4 NIC bill,’ HMRC said.