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HMRC wants your views
Just some background, I help low income people with their tax. HMRC is trying (not before time) to simplify the UK personal tax system and wants opinions on how to improve. I've sent in my penny's worth but in case anyone else wants to add their thoughts here's the document (which contains an email link).
Alternatively answer the questions below (there's 18 of them) and I'll collate responses and send it in from the "Runner's World forum"
Rants accepted!
Vision 
Do you want to know more about the tax you pay, and what do you want to know? (good start here HMRC I think you wanted to say, "Do you want to know more about the tax you pay? What do you want to know?)
Where do you currently look for information on how much tax you have paid?
If you had better access to tax information do you think that you would have more confidence in:
a. HMRC; and
b. the accuracy of your own tax?
Do you know what to do now if you are unsure your tax is right?
Do you know what your responsibilities are regarding tax?
Do you want to know why tax is paid and more information on how it is spent?
Online Accounts
If you could access [your tax] online, how do you think this would improve your awareness and understanding of tax?
How often do you envisage you would use an online account?
Pre-filled Tax Returns (your P60/bank interest already filled in for you so that you don't have to gather )
.
If you complete an SA return [self assessment return] , do you think you would benefit from your information being pre-filled in your SA return?
What do you consider the benefits and risks of pre-filling to be?
What do you think the most important areas are to pre-fill that would reduce the potential for mistakes and save time?
Tax Statements
Would you like to have an annual tax statement that sets out your income and tax liability for the year?
Would you want to view your annual tax statement if it included your overall personal tax contribution, your average tax rate and other general tax information?
What else could an annual tax statement show that would be of use and/or of interest to you?
Education/ Improving Customer Experience 
What educational material would you like to see to help taxpayers understand and comply with their tax responsibilities?
What areas of the personal tax system cause you most confusion or difficulty?
Do you have any other ideas for how the Government can achieve greater engagement of UK citizens in tax?
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Comments
I god, I think I'll step away from this thread before I rant for England!
Make it more simple and stop making mistakes would have to be my first requests!
My next request would be don't let those rolling in money get away with not paying any?
Your common garden variety PAYE person gets utter shafted in comparison.
I'd love to tell them - if they'd answer the feckin' phone.
They get my tax code badly wrong (where did you get the idea that working less than 10 hours a week at an hourly rate in single figures would place me in the top tax bracket) and then expect me to sit for hours trying to get through to the b*ggers, the cost of the phone call vastly in excess of my meagre earnings.
+1 for Nam.
Think this sums up my comments succintly.
It would appear that the more money you have the less likely you are to try & avoid paying tax,even if you deposit large sums of money in an off shore account under a name of pet.
Apparently this practice is not actually avoiding tax,so intend to start doing the same with my tax contributions & will be forgetting to declare it on my annual tax return in the future.
A simple comparison - using a discount voucher you found on the internet to reduce your restaurant bill vs. Walking out without paying, or pretending a dish didn't arrive.
I know avoidance is not illegal & that evasion is,I have a very good accountant that avoids as much of tax liability as he can for us.
I was just being a tad sarcastic in light of the news today,hmrc obviously thought that they were looking @ evasion.
I hope HMRC appeal.
How in the world did he get off? Is this country becoming more unfair?
You didn't.
Just not sure how stashing £££ in an account & not declaring it can be anything other than evasion?
Depends on whether you're tipped to become (potentially) the next England football team manager I guess.
Wouldn't do to have him languishing in jail when there's a little thing like Euro 2012 on the horizon.