HMRC Consultation...to seek approval to "raid" debtors bank accounts to recover debts over £1,000 !!

[citizenB]

They can't do that, as it would be against EU law. Under EU law the government has to offer a minimum level of income to provide for basic living costs, so that people can afford to eat and pay for other basics. If they started to dip into peoples bank accounts without working out whether the person could afford to meet basic living costs, I believe the government would be in breach of human rights. So there would have to some assessment carried out to avoid the government being liable

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That'll be a good reason to vote to stay in Europe then !

[unclebulgaria67]

That'll be a good reason to vote to stay in Europe then !

 

I would vote to stay in the EU. I don't trust politicians who don't like being accountable to the ECHR for example. While the EU does apply some silly rules, the UK gold plates them, while other countries seem to be more relaxed. It is only within the last year that Spain has introduced energy rating certs, when the UK went ahead almost immediately and even wanted Home Buyers packs, which have since been removed. Some Politicians and the media don't talk about sensible policies issued by the EU. I would presume there are some, which might include vehicle safety measures, consumer rights on products/services etc.

 

If the EU does not function properly, then they should reform it. Leaving the EU, could mean that former UK residents living within the EU, who can presently access local healthcare, won't be able to. We can do without thousands of extra mainly older people coming back to the UK. Some are already coming back and more will have to.

[HCEOs]

I presume we all welcome the day when enforcement companies no longer need to send out bailiffs and just just debit the sums owed from peoples bank accounts....

 

At least the fees should be lower....

[unclebulgaria67]

I presume we all welcome the day when enforcement companies no longer need to send out bailiffs and just just debit the sums owed from peoples bank accounts....

 

At least the fees should be lower....

 

You might be one of the people. Late with a tax return and you get auto debited an amount.

[HCEOs]

With the new regulations you may well be right

[tomtubby]

I have just been listening to the BBC news and it would seem that following release of the Consultation Paper many MP's have had a "lightbulb moment" and are seriously concerned at these proposals.

 

The following article from the Daily Mail raises even more worrying clauses within the Consultation:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2623810/Taxman-raid-joint-accounts-Wife-lose-cash-husband-whos-arrears-new-proposals.html

[HCEOs]

I did hear you had to have over £6,000 in your account which would rule out many people being targeted, particularly those on hard times.

[citizenB]

Britain is being robbed of £35 billion a year by cheats who don’t pay their taxes and others who find ways of avoiding paying them, according to HMRC

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2623810/Taxman-raid-joint-accounts-Wife-lose-cash-husband-whos-arrears-new-proposals.html#ixzz31CtYr2Lf

 

 

 

And most of these will be big business and already seriously wealthy people ... or MPs !!

[tomtubby]

I did hear you had to have over £6,000 in your account which would rule out many people being targeted.

 

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Great news....that means that I will be excluded.....

[tomtubby]

The Consumer Action bailiff forum must feature very high in the Google ranks as once again, SCOOP has picked up this thread:

 

 

http://www.scoop.it/t/lacef-news

 

The power of the internet.....

[unclebulgaria67]

And most of these will be big business and already seriously wealthy people ... or MPs !!

 

I regularly read of councillors who had not paid council tax and have liability orders against them. If they don't pay their tax, how can they vote for their council taking harsh enforcement measure against fellow residents. There was a Tory Cornwall councillor who was shamed by a local paper and I think they had to resign. If you google councillor with unpaid council tax, you will see loads of results of reports from all over the country.

 

As it usual with all tax collection, government will always go after easy targets and look after their own. This has always been the same. Go back hundreds of years and you will have the Kings tax collectors going out to ransack the villagers houses, while leaving the local Lord of the Manor in his castle alone.

[brassnecked]

Knowing the propensity for HMRC to mess up badly, and target the wrong people, I can see an innocent whose account varies by one digit acccidentally having the account cleared due to a typing error and them put into overdraft as they never have £5K in ever, or the threshold for taking money lowered to at least £1000, It will be the normal person in the street on PAYE or Tax credits/Universal Credit who will be the target of this not the corporations.

[unclebulgaria67]

Will large businesses allow HMRC to have access to their bank accounts, just in case they have not collected enough tax ? I can't see Tesco, Vodafone or Starbucks allowing this.

[brassnecked]

Will large businesses allow HMRC to have access to their bank accounts, just in case they have not collected enough tax ? I can't see Tesco, Vodafone or Starbucks allowing this.

 

They will not be able to stop them unless it is a bank say in the USA or Cayman Islands

[mikeymack2002]

s187 of the SSA 1992 come to mind

 

 

Quote from here http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/5/section/187/enacted

 

 

s187 Certain benefit to be inalienable

 

(1)Subject to the provisions of this Act, every assignment of or charge on—

 

(a)benefit as defined in section 122 of the Contributions and Benefits Act;

 

(b)any income-related benefit; or

 

©child benefit,

and every agreement to assign or charge such benefit shall be void; and, on the bankruptcy of a beneficiary, such benefit shall not pass to any trustee or other person acting on behalf of his creditors.

 

 

(2)In the application of subsection (1) above to Scotland—

 

 

(a)the reference to assignment of benefit shall be read as a reference to assignation, “assign” being construed accordingly;

 

 

(b)the reference to a beneficiary’s bankruptcy shall be read as a reference to the sequestration of his estate or the appointment on his estate of a judicial factor under section 41 of the [1980 c. 46.] Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980.

 

 

(3)In calculating for the purposes of section 5 of the [1869 c. 62.] Debtors Act 1869 or section 4 of the [1882 c. 42.] Civil Imprisonment (Scotland) Act 1882 the means of any beneficiary, no account shall be taken of any increase of disablement benefit in respect of a child or of industrial death benefit.

[unclebulgaria67]

Can't believe that David Cameron defended this policy and said if it was not introduced taxes would have to go up.

 

A chance for Clegg and Miliband to score on this one.

 

Could you imagine what most Americans would say if they had the government accessing their bank accounts ?

 

If people owe tax then take them to court, get a liability order and allow bailiffs to force entry to recover money or goods. Providing there is a proper system for this, with a hearing and notifications, this would be better than raiding accounts. If you knew the taxman was likely to take money from your account, you would withdraw enough so they couldn't.

[brassnecked]

Can't believe that David Cameron defended this policy and said if it was not introduced taxes would have to go up.

 

A chance for Clegg and Miliband to score on this one.

 

Could you imagine what most Americans would say if they had the government accessing their bank accounts ?

 

If people owe tax then take them to court, get a liability order and allow bailiffs to force entry to recover money or goods. Providing there is a proper system for this, with a hearing and notifications, this would be better than raiding accounts. If you knew the taxman was likely to take money from your account, you would withdraw enough so they couldn't.

Apparently in California they already do, but Miliband, Clegg, Cameron and the others are all a crock of wombat doos, none of them are worth a tap.