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The coincidence of the publication of HMRC’s revised standards for agents at the same time as the Public Accounts Committee’s report on HMRC recent performance is, to say the least, thought provoking. The heavy criticism of the department in the latter has, at least if Taxation’s inbox is to be believed, provoked outrage at the former, on the basis that ‘if HMRC can’t get its house in order it has no business trying to tell agents how to do their job’. The depth of frustration, or worse, about the way that HMRC’s performance has impacted on agents’ ability to service their clients properly, is something which shows no sign of easing. The PAC’s report makes clear that it cannot be allowed to continue.
The question of whether this should affect the approach to setting standards in the tax profession is an interesting one. I don’t think that any reader of this magazine could deny that there are problems with the competence of some who are currently providing tax services, although there would probably be no agreement as to the extent of the problem.
Similarly, we would all recognise that there are some, perhaps no more than a handful, whose integrity – even honesty – is open to question. I want to belong to a profession which is recognised as upholding the highest standards: I am sure that you do too. Whether it is right that HMRC sets those standards is a very different question and I fully understand why many people think that these recent developments set such a troubling direction of travel.
The case for an independent regulator of tax advisers increasingly starts to look like a more acceptable alternative.
If you do one thing...
See HMRC’s updated guidance on what constitutes a business for inheritance tax purposes – tinyurl.com/hmrcihtm25152.
