Revenue and Customs boss says he need not apologise

[4me2]

Revenue and Customs boss says he need not apologise

By Paul Lewis Presenter, Money Box


Dave Hartnett is the senior tax professional at HMRC


The UK's top tax man has refused to apologise after taking the wrong amount of tax from six million people.
Dave Hartnett, Permanent Secretary at her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, claimed media stories of blunders and IT failures were wrong.
And he warned those who owed £2,000 or more in back tax they would have just over three months to repay it in full.
But John Andrews of the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group said this could penalise some widows and pensioners.
Speaking exclusively to Radio 4's Money Box programme, Mr Hartnett said: "I'm not sure I see a need to apologise."


He added: "I've read the papers, listened to the media and heard stories of HMRC blunders and IT failure - neither of those are true."
He said the 5.7 million letters that he would be sending out to taxpayers before Christmas were the result of a normal process of matching the tax deducted from each taxpayer with their circumstances.
He confirmed that 1.4 million people would be told they had extra tax to pay.
And he revealed that those who owed the most tax would have the least time to pay.



Some taxpayers can expect more letters and tax returns from HMRC in the coming months


"Those [who owe] more than £2,000… will be given an opportunity to pay based on a notice from us, or, failing that, they will be brought within self-assessment.
"People who enter self-assessment are expected to pay within three months and a little bit more."


Tighter deadlines

Those owing below £2,000 will have the money deducted from their pay or pension over 12 months, or three years in cases of hardship.
Mr Hartnett said that system would apply to "more than 80%" of those who owed money.
But he defended the tighter deadline for the biggest bills.
"I think owing the most may actually mean they're earning the most… I think it's very unlikely that a low earner will owe us more than £2,000 as a result of the process we're going through."
But John Andrews, chairman of the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group, was not convinced.


"The £2,000 procedure gives me concern," he said.
"There are circumstances in which over a two year period, for example on a bereavement where a widow suddenly inherits part of her late husband's pension, it is quite easy to run up this amount.
"I hope that HMRC would live up to the Your Charter expectations and look at individuals."
Mr Hartnett said that the main batches of letters to taxpayers would start going out in "early to mid October' and he still intended they would all arrive by Christmas.
Three quarters of those written to - 4.3 million people - will get a rebate averaging £400.
The rest, 1.4 million, will be told they have to pay the extra tax.
None will have to pay less than £300 and the average will be £1,428. Up to 250,000 could be asked for £2,000 or more.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11265400

[SiE]

Wanker

[blaggard]

So if it's NOT a computer error NOR Human error they meant to do it?!
I watched this cunt on the news this morning, the sad thing is he will keep his job!

[spookythang]

Heard the smarmy prick on the radio this morning. He claimed that this reconciling of tax expected against tax received happens every year, I used to work for HMC&E and he's right it does but.........this year 3 million people are either owed a shitload or owe a shitload which doesn't happen every year!! AnD WTF? those who owe the most are going to get 2 whole months to pay it back, possibly wiping out their whole salary for two months. Smug bastard should be sacked , not for whatever cock up caused this but for his ridiculous contempt for the taxpayer.

[reverend]

They're already taking £1500 off me this year so if I get one of these letters through the post asking for more I'll go mental!

I wouldn't be surprised if he has to make an apology soon as the media will rip him apart with those quotes!

[Over Carl]

Isn't there a loophole or something where if you have supplied correct info you can tell them to get fucked with the demand?

[Ganty]

Isn't there a loophole or something where if you have supplied correct info you can tell them to get fucked with the demand?

Yeah, and they can only claim within 1 year or something.

Surely they can't demand it be paid back in 2 months? Some people might not make what they owe in 2 months, lol.

[Realist]

I dont agree with it full stop.

[Agent47]

If this cunts tax is wrong will he pay whats owed. Hang the bastard.

[TwoPlAnKs]

My understanding is that the system has always been a bit broken and not entirely accurate, so they've fixed it with better software. If anything, you could say this guy inherited crap from his predecessor and has now fixed it.

I'm surprised everyone doesn't check their tax. If you have one job for the whole year it's a piece of piss, just put your annual salary into the first google result for "PAYE calculator" and see if the total tax for the year matches your P60. I was ripped off to the tune of about £3 a few years ago, never bothered claiming for it though because I have a life.

[TwoPlAnKs]

He has now apologised: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11272622

Lost a bit of respect for him tbh, he should have either apologised in the first place or stood his ground.