Facts, RIP

KEY POINTS

• Prioritise the most disadvantaged.
• Lack of informed debate.
• Evidence is essential.
• Facts are losing ground to unreliable opinion.

The importance of commenting on tax issues using facts as a basis seems to have become secondary to hearsay and hysteria lamented John Andrews who has become only the third recipient of the  Chartered Institute of Taxation’s Council Award in recognition of his work for taxpayers on low incomes and his wider service to the institute and the tax profession. His acceptance speech is reproduced below.

Eminent guests I won’t keep you long but as this will be the last time I will address a large tax audience I would like to make a couple of observations while I have a captive audience. The...