Outrageous? Oh yes!

I read with interest your correspondence from an anonymous contributor entitled 'Outrageous; yes' (see related link above). I have a story that is broadly similar; anonymity is requested for obvious reasons.

An enquiry was opened on a client who had been with us for eighteen months or so and during that time he demonstrated a somewhat lackadaisical approach to compliance as well as also developing a bit of a reputation for being something of wide boy locally. In short the type of client that had we known what we were getting into we would not have gone there in the first place but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

At the outset of the enquiry a senior audit manager and I suggested to HMRC an informal meeting to discuss the way ahead given that compliance was not likely to be forthcoming on a voluntary basis for the...