FOI Off!

The state likes to pretend that it is transparent, and that the voters have a right to know what it is doing on our behalves.

However, HMRC is a tad more opaque than some other organs of the state. Payrollworld discovered this recently, when it submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) to HMRC regarding RTI penalty warning letters.

The request was relatively simple:

How many RTI penalty warning letters have been issued this year?

HMRC's response was a flat refusal.

For why?

It answered that it might "prejudice the collection of tax”:

“HMRC holds the information requested but it is being withheld. 

The exemption that applies here is section 31(1)(d) Freedom of Information Act 2000. This is the exemption that applies to information the disclosure of which would or would be likely to prejudice the assessment or collection of tax.

HMRC believes that disclosing the number of penalty warning letters issued could undermine the effectiveness of the penalty regime which relies to some extent on the deterrent effect of these penalties.”

Suffice to say, the real question that needs to be answered (but won't be) is:

How many erroneous warning letters have been sent?

Sadly HMRC is very opaque, the reason being not so much to maintain its "efficient" collection of tax but to hide its incompetence.

Tax does have to be taxing.

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