This week’s opinion

I found the HMRC 2014/15 charter report disappointing. Partly because it was bland and full of corporate speak but mainly because it failed to address performance against the charter. For example although the charter promises to respect you treat you as honest and treat you evenhandedly the commentary on these rights is all about service standards and the development of new HMRC services. That information is important but it does not really touch on the issues of respect honesty and evenhandedness. The problem is that HMRC have not been surveying taxpayers directly on charter questions and have had to shoehorn material from other surveys into the report. As a consequence it does not really focus on performance against the charter.

To be fair to HMRC and others involved in the report this has been recognised and new arrangements have been put in place...