Revenue cracking down on expenses claimed by contractors - the philosophical issues

[WizardDr]

I see that both @T Mc Gibney and I have concerns with @Mandletrots defence of the Revenue.

There is an excuse for all inactions.

The reality is that once you mentioned the South West Region - that told me all I wanted to know. Enough said.

The Revnue like the 'lookbacks' as most of the journalists have not really reviewed how the central intellignce system of Revenue can ignore issuing simple guidances years before rather than creating later massive media coverage of how wonderful they are with their hindsight brillance.

They share the mindles madness with 'compliance' types. Noting that Compliance did not save us from financial meltdown in the recent past.

 

[mandelbrot]

I see that both @T Mc Gibney and I have concerns with @Mandletrots defence of the Revenue.

There is an excuse for all inactions.

The reality is that once you mentioned the South West Region - that told me all I wanted to know. Enough said.

The Revnue like the 'lookbacks' as most of the journalists have not really reviewed how the central intellignce system of Revenue can ignore issuing simple guidances years before rather than creating later massive media coverage of how wonderful they are with their hindsight brillance.

They share the mindles madness with 'compliance' types. Noting that Compliance did not save us from financial meltdown in the recent past.

I think TMcGibney and I are having a very different discussion to the borderline ranting that you're indulging in Wizard, with all due respect.

It appears you are at least as biased in one direction as I am in the other, almost like someone with a serious axe to grind!

I've gone to pains to explain how sectoral projects like these arise organically, as information is fed from auditors on the ground upwards several layers of management, often over years, resulting in a pattern / trend of behaviour emerging. You have dismissed it with a single sentence "There is an excuse for all inactions."

I am saying there hasn't been inaction - the area has been subject to the normal audit programme just like every sector, and based on the outcomes, the sector has been prioritised for further attention. Now, could you kindly address my points in the spirit of debate rather than dismissiveness - either the modus operandi as I've described is factually correct, in which case you might explain what you find repugnant about it - or else you can assert that the process I've described isn't how it works, in which case you might explain how you think it works.

 

[WizardDr]

I see @TMcGibney and I share similar views.
I see @Mandletrot wont address the Revenue issues and bangs on about Government Policy ..and I wonder who places the changes in each hugely complicated and tortured Finance Bill / Act - step forward - Revenue.

@Mandletrot - stop dedending and start articulating!

 

[mandelbrot]

I see @TMcGibney and I share similar views.
I see @Mandletrot wont address the Revenue issues and bangs on about Government Policy ..and I wonder who places the changes in each hugely complicated and tortured Finance Bill / Act - step forward - Revenue.

@Mandletrot - stop dedending and start articulating!

I'm going to quote myself back at you and ask you again to respond to what I've said, and this is my third and final time saying it - I'll just step out of this debate if you're not willing to address my argument.

I've gone to pains to explain how sectoral projects like these arise organically, as information is fed from auditors on the ground upwards several layers of management, often over years, resulting in a pattern / trend of behaviour emerging. You have dismissed it with a single sentence "There is an excuse for all inactions."

I am saying there hasn't been inaction - the area has been subject to the normal audit programme just like every sector, and based on the outcomes, the sector has been prioritised for further attention. Now, could you kindly address my points in the spirit of debate rather than dismissiveness - either the modus operandi as I've described is factually correct, in which case you might explain what you find repugnant about it - or else you can assert that the process I've described isn't how it works, in which case you might explain how you think it works.

By the way I'm not suggesting for a moment Revenue are a perfect organisation, but IMHO they're a damn sight better than most of the rest of our Government departments, and far from the organisation of perverse sadists you constantly make them out to be.

Oh, and it's MandELBrot - like the mathematician!

 

[Brendan Burgess]

Folks

As many contractors will be very worried about this, and won't want to engage in a philosophical debate, I have opened up a separate thread about "What should a contractor do now??"