Kinder HMRC Taxman Sends Out German Stories To Help With Tax

GOOD news is that the CDs lost by the Government and its agencies in recent times may contain not data and facts but children’s stories read aloud in German, such as those stories featured on the HMRC’s latest mailshot.

Old Mr Anorak is encouraged to learn that the February edition of HMRC’s regular “Employer Bulletin” features not software designed to help small firms deal with their tax burden, rather 16 CD audio files with titles such as Zwei Ordentliche Kinder (Two Tidy Children), Der Flohzirkus (The Flea Circus) and Gespenster (Ghosts).

An HMRC spokeswoman assures one and all (translated):

“Although the buck stops with us at HMRC, it is something we contract out because it is cheaper to produce [the CDs] in a commercial environment.”

Zis kontracktor is proteckted vy “commercial confidentiality”, or, perhaps, High Wycombe-based Software Logistics Ltd, as the packaging directs.

Says Software Logistics managing director Barry Hurley: “We aware of the situation. It’s a very rare occurrence. It’s of course regrettable and we are working with HMRC to ensure replacements are sent out as soon as possible.”

In the meanwhile, taxpayers may get more mileage from the stories, detailing, as they do, working examples of ways to claim child benefit without the expense of the child (by building one from bits of wood,) making houses from cake (claiming furniture back as “sundries” and “entertaining”), and explaining migrant and casual staff as “phantoms”…

Spotter, via

Anorak

Posted: 2nd, March 2009 | In: Money Comment | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink