Accountancy Age has reported:

HM Revenue & Customs policy chief Dave Hartnett has been appointed acting chairman of HM Revenue & Customs.

His appointment does not mean he will become full-time chairman, but Gray also carried out the acting role before taking the top spot officially.

Hartnett's move to the top will surprise few in the tax world.

More than that. Some of us welcome it.

Hartnett has a cool head. He has the reputation of being the best tax investigator the Revenue ever had. He's charismatic, which helps. He's an insider, which also helps. And he's highly competent, as well as being a consummate political operator at the civil service level.

I, for one, hope he gets the permanent post.