Higher-rate taxpayers and those who are self-employed face a greater risk of a tax investigation, as the Revenue deploys tougher tactics to fill a £7 billion black hole in Treasury coffers.
Simple mistakes in tax returns, big changes in income or expenses from last year or big purchases risk triggering an inquiry by Revenue investigators, tax experts told The Times.
Buy-to-let property investors, wealthy individuals, savers with offshore or foreign accounts and self-employed people who have had a drop in turnover are most at risk, accountants said.
The financial details of partners in law firms or medical practices are expected to be examined closely. Barristers are also under the spotlight because the taxman thinks that they may have been fiddling expenses, including the costs of cleaning gowns and wigs.
I hardly know where to start with this, but I think I'll go with "how many inspectors does that taxman have left after Gershon?" Not enough to go after everyone, so I guess they'll try on a couple and be utter cunts with anyone who might have made a mistake or pulled a fast one pour encourager les autres. But I can't see them going after anything but the most egregious of chancers or the most unlucky of people who have have massive changes to their lives or expenses.
This thing about the barristers, though ... all I can say to the taxman is go for it. You go after a bunch of barristers and see how far you fucking get, for fuck's sake!
And really, they wouldn't be in such a fucking desperate state for cash if they hadn't pissed so much of it away trying to protect the Gorgon's reputation (there's an oxymoron if I ever saw one!)
Cunts.
(For the sake of clarity, I must confess that all my telephone dealings with the taxman have been prompt, knowledgeable courteous, efficient and staggeringly helpful. It's quite disconcerting to have helpful people who know what they are talking about, working in the government.)
8 comments:
Thats just fucking great
The taxman is going to be after me because I havent worked since September thanks to the Bloody GMC
Im back on incapacity benefit or I have at least applied
That reminds me I need a line
My dealings with HMRC have been various, because of my line of work (when there's any around!) and through running my own business (into the ground, damn it).
Being on the receiving end of a tax investigation is not pleasant, because of the potential consequenses and because the balance of proof is not as in a criminal investigation, it is up to you to prove your innocence against whatever crap they come up with. Even here though, it was polite use of thumbscrews.
I was dleighted though two years back to save some company a huge pile of money from an investigation into their PAYE situstion. Wish I'd been on a percentage rather than an hourly rate!
However, with 3,000 or so ex-tax inspectors laid off on full pay "pre-surplus" to requirements, who the hell is going to be doingthe digging?
The Penguin
"I think I'll go with "how many inspectors does that taxman have left after Gershon?""
You think Gershon actually cut numbers?
This is the Civil Service we are talking about! Check out 'Burning our Money' blog for how the so-called cuts under Gershon turned out to be anything but....
@JuliaM: I'm certainly not denying your claim that Gershon was a sham, but my understanding is that HMRC did actually lose a significant number of inspectors at the time. I suppose it's possible they've been quietly replaced.
"I suppose it's possible they've been quietly replaced."
Try 'other, not necessarily suitable staff retrained as inspectors'... ;)
'HMRC Is Shite' blog is pretty good for background
My self employed earnings over the past five years have been up and down so I'd better watch out...
That said, this month there's rather a lot of my hard earned going their way.
Maybe if we had a rational tax system that didn't punish people for working etc...
OtC, have you come to the LVT side yet?
I'm not sure of the mechanics of LVT (despite Mark Wadsworth's best efforts!) but I'm not averse to it.
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