The Steedman
Column
New and Deadly threat from HMRC - the lull is and inexperienced inspectors on which to cut appeals were dealt with by vat tribunals. The
over - prepare for the storm their teeth. In my days on the books of HMRC (I
General Commissioners were an independent
left in 1987 to set up my own tax consultancy)
body, which although appointed by the
Evidence is growing that the Revenue and the average yield for a taxi investigation would
government, ensured that the taxpayer had
Customs have spent much of the last two not normally result in a settlement of over
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years retraining and reworking the relatively £50,000 to include tax interest, and penalties,
newly established partnership between the tax but nowadays anyone found to be in breach
replaced by an all encompassing Tribunal, whilst
inspectors (properly trained and usually astute of vat limits and the related legislation could
there to give a fair hearing, is much more formal
individuals) and their new found but generally lose their house or even worse face criminal
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poorly accepted (and untrained in the realms prosecution.
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of what is normally accepted as “taxation”) vat
Edinburgh as recently as October. We found it
colleagues. New legislation with draconian measures, necessary to assemble a team, which included
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four tax specialists. Fortunately we ensured
This added to the general demise of the premises and enquiries sometimes worked
that over the two day hearing our client got the
HFRQRP\DQGKXJHGHÀFLWVLQWKHQDWLRQDO by up to four taxmen with differing roles and I
result we were after .The danger here for the
tax yield has left small and medium sized suspect with targets to meet. This means now
uninitiated is that not many accountants will be
businesses wide open to scathing and ruthless that self-employed taxpayers have to be more
investigation on a scale never seen before. vigilant than ever to try to protect their interests.
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For taxi drivers, the good news is that they are One huge change in practice is that now
a very intimidating situation for anyone not used
normally beneath the VAT limit. This means that any appeal is to the Tax Tribunal, whereas
to such things.
interest in enquiring into their tax affairs will still previously income tax appeals were to the
be to use them as training fodder for the new General Commissioners of Taxes and vat Ricky Steedman -Tax Consultant
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