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I was saddened by news of the death of Robin Williamson, a mainstay of the Low Income Tax Reform Group and worthy winner of the lifetime achievement award in 2020. That year the Taxation awards were held virtually and it was a great pity that he was not able to enjoy the standing ovation that he would undoubtedly have received had we been able to run a live event. But the fact that this was an online event meant that his remarks on receiving the award are preserved for posterity. I found it very poignant to see him again (tinyurl.com/42n6ca2t – about four minutes in.)
We will publish a fuller tribute to him in a future edition but I want to share a couple of memories with you here. First of all he was the kindest, most modest person you could ever meet – you would never believe he had achieved so much in his career. That doesn’t mean he was a pushover – far from it. He could argue his case with passion and vigour but always with due respect for the person on the other side of the argument.
Secondly, he had an extraordinary grasp of detail across the whole of the tax and benefit system and had an unrivalled expertise in understanding how all of the moving parts fitted together or – more often than not – clashed. I recall talking to him about how dealing with the complexities of a tax computation for an elderly couple with various sources of income and different entitlement to age allowance could be as intellectually demanding as a complex calculation of underlying tax on dividends passed up through an international group. Just because the figures were in single pounds rather than millions didn’t mean it was easy.
Robin was somebody who inspired enormous respect and affection. He will be greatly missed.
If you do one thing...
Read the additional guidance on late requirement to correct cases (tinyurl.com/2jv9dbcx).
