Is It Time To Totally Reform The Inland Revenue (HMRC)? If So What Is The Best Method For A Changing Workforce?

Hi creativesaver - It would appear that they are in a total mess according to the media and people have been month's waiting for replies concerning their tax. During my working life I had at least 13 jobs (one of which was self employed) and never had any problem with the PAYE system so why is it going so wrong now. I suppose there weren't all the computers then everything was done manually but the people operating them now make so many typing errors often putting the wrong figures in (this is the excuse Halifax made to me last year when they made at least three mistakes on my ISA) total idiots I thought at the time. It pays to check everything you receive thoroughly.

On the whole they do a difficult job well, but should be more accountable to the general public as are other civil servants,also made to lose their air of arrogance. and some powers.

To be honest I do not know how you could reform an organisation that has faced cut after cut by the economic government measures. Add into that the loss of experienced managers and you are left with a workforce that simply flounders, not to mention that tremendous lack of motivation that the public sector is facing. I work in the public sector in local authority taxation and I have never seen such severe cuts in the system in the last twenty years. HMRC is bound to have taken a battering and cannot be expected to perform to impossible targets. The apologies that came from the top were indeed offered with sincerity ( I suspect ) but on the back of not knowing what to do next.

Having said all of that it is probably the largest income generator in the country and I suggest needs desperate measures to get it back on track. But I have to agree with paxo here ... they have to lose their constant arrogance, have their powers softened considerably and learn that they are indeed public servants and react accordingly. MY only fear in achieving this is that it will cost large capital input and where does that come from?

You know the tax system is getting too complex when those who are paid to enforce it start making mistakes!

The whole tax systems needs to be made simpler. There are too many esoteric tax breaks and hard to enforce rules at the moment. Oh, and they need to target the big players rather than the average bloke on the street. That would at least make the publie like them!

The rich with the ability to pay accountants favour this system as the numerous loop holes mainly benefit them. The poor guy however always seems to be the one they chase.