HMRC - would this be negligence?

[Steve6710]

Just supposing....Take out your competitor Tree's, when you get charged with the offence refer them to the 8 years worth of communication to HMRC and plead insanity.

 

[Mr D]

Yes, true, and it is always the easy cases, the little people who get targeted when they offend and ignored when they complain.

The big cases take a lot of resources and based on at least two recent instances were basically failures.
A multinational that was paying the correct taxes and the swiss bank accounts that were declaring what needed declaring.
Lots of political pressure, lots of resources used, basically no payout.

The decision to investigate was based on fantasy not reality. Lots of evidence provided of course - some of which was apparently made up.

 

[Whatcanudo?]

Just supposing....Take out your competitor Tree's, when you get charged with the offence refer them to the 8 years worth of communication to HMRC and plead insanity.

Sorry - no idea what that means

 

[Whatcanudo?]

The big cases take a lot of resources and based on at least two recent instances were basically failures.
A multinational that was paying the correct taxes and the swiss bank accounts that were declaring what needed declaring.
Lots of political pressure, lots of resources used, basically no payout.

The decision to investigate was based on fantasy not reality. Lots of evidence provided of course - some of which was apparently made up.

That seems to suggest that if HMRC decide a case is too expensive or too complicated and you are a victim and lose everything that is just too bad. The police would hardly say there were not going to investigate a murder because it was too expensive.
The case that I posit on here would not have been complicated. It would have been very simple. They would have had the name and address of the perpetrator, what he was doing, how he was doing it, what he was buying and selling, where he was buying it and the names and addresses of those to whom he was selling without VAT. Prompt action would have put a stop to it almost instantly as word would have got around that you cannot cheat the VAT. Ignoring it would mean that the knowledge that you can cheat by not paying your VAT and other taxes with impunity would spread like cancer and very soon everyone would be doing it.

 

[Mr D]

That seems to suggest that if HMRC decide a case is too expensive or too complicated and you are a victim and lose everything that is just too bad. The police would hardly say there were not going to investigate a murder because it was too expensive.
The case that I posit on here would not have been complicated. It would have been very simple. They would have had the name and address of the perpetrator, what he was doing, how he was doing it, what he was buying and selling, where he was buying it and the names and addresses of those to whom he was selling without VAT. Prompt action would have put a stop to it almost instantly as word would have got around that you cannot cheat the VAT. Ignoring it would mean that the knowledge that you can cheat by not paying your VAT and other taxes with impunity would spread like cancer and very soon everyone would be doing it.

Apparently there are a good percentage of crimes the police do not investigate.
The media reported 60% the other day. Were the media making stuff up?

You may think your evidence is good. To an investigator it may be not so good.
Has word got out the past 30 years that you cannot cheat the VAT? HMRC have been taking action against people for decades - the word got out that you know about?

While I would not go as far as 'everyone would be doing it' it has been said for many years that individuals fiddle the VAT.
Buy an expensive service / item and pay cash in exchange for not paying VAT - the person fiddles and HMRC lose out. Notice many householders get done for that over the years?

 

[Whatcanudo?]

Apparently there are a good percentage of crimes the police do not investigate.
The media reported 60% the other day. Were the media making stuff up?

You may think your evidence is good. To an investigator it may be not so good.
Has word got out the past 30 years that you cannot cheat the VAT? HMRC have been taking action against people for decades - the word got out that you know about?

While I would not go as far as 'everyone would be doing it' it has been said for many years that individuals fiddle the VAT.
Buy an expensive service / item and pay cash in exchange for not paying VAT - the person fiddles and HMRC lose out. Notice many householders get done for that over the years?

OK