Dennis Howlett » Tax Research UK

Hero of the day – Stuart Jones

Accountancy, Dennis Howlett, Tax justice, UK Uncut 1 Response »

Dec 202010

Dennis Howlett, a long term blogging friend of mine has a great blog on his site about another blogging friend and commentator here - Stuart Jones, senior partner 3CA, chartered accountants based in Kendal. As Dennis says:

He’s a really nice person who works hard to do the best he can for his clients. He gets rightfully annoyed at the antics of bureaucracies that harm, impede or otherwise behave badly towards the small business. He’s none too impressed by the way some people manipulate the tax system to their advantage. Last weekend he went out to support protesters at the Westmorland shopping centre. He ended up being banned from using the centre for the day.

Stuart followed up with a well timed blog post entitled: Why I think the protests against Topshop are justified. He says:

I have sent this letter to the Financial Times. Hopefully they will publish it.

Sir,

Richard Horton’s suggestion “that more UK tax would be payable if Sir Philip owned the companies himself, but he does not, and he cannot pay tax on something he has not received and to which he has no legal right” would be more believable if HM Revenue and Customs accepted his argument and stopped applying “income splitting” legislation to smaller companies.

Until they do criticism of Sir Philip Green’s tax “savings” is fully justified.

As Dennis concludes:

None of this will be news to chartered accountant Richard Murphy who has been campaigning on this broad topic for many years. What is different today is that the ‚Äòman in the street’ is finally seeing the direct impact of abusing the tax system on the ability of the nation to provide essential services. That’s where the rubber hits the road and where people like both Richard and Stuart have their part to play. They are the face of a progressive profession though you’d be hard put to know that when seeing some of the opposition ranged against their related but different stands on this topic.

Thanks to Dennis, but Stuart is a hero. It takes courage as an accountant to go out in the town where you work and protest about tax. Good for him! And it’s great to know there are accountants in the world who do think it’s right to protest.

Is ICAEW failing?

Accountancy, Dennis Howlett Comments Off

Jun 102010

Is ICAEW failing?.

For the chartered accountants reading this blog follow the link, Dennis Howlett has interesting things to say. He concludes:

The broader question remains: if ICAEW is doing its job well then why does What Is An Accountant exist?

And you can (rightly) guess that he’s darned sure it’s not doing its job well, with which I concur.

Google: Buzz off!

Dennis Howlett Comments Off

Feb 112010

Google: Buzz off!.

If you use Gmail read this. You need to.

Thanks to Dennis Howlett for identifying serious problems in Google’s latest offering.

On being No.2: Dennis Howlett

Blogging, Dennis Howlett 2 Responses »

Dec 032009

On being No.2.

Dennis Howlett got me into blogging.

Now he’s ranked #2 blogger analyst in the world.

Congratulations Dennis.

And he also remains spot on with regard to accounting ethics.

In the company of Cassandra

Accounting, Auditing, Big 4, Dennis Howlett 6 Responses »

Sep 092009

Dennis Howlett picked up on my theme of incredulity about the professions PR, noted here yesterday. He has said:

I am still firmly of the opinion that at least one of the Big Four will fail even though I know ICAEW members and colleagues who think I’m utterly wrong. I agree with Francine the weight of impending litigation is what will bring the situation to a head. The pile of lawsuits is simply too high and in the case of Satyam, will almost certainly require litigating in order to settle. That is one of what I believe will be a series of tipping points. Having said that, my opinion about which of the Big Four fails first varies depending on which news I’m reading at the time. There’s just too much bad news out there. Regardless, the die is cast.

As and when (not if) it happens, we will see a radical recasting of the profession. It will be a golden moment when it will be possible to think about how the profession might morph into something in which people can place genuine confidence once again and where a meaningful ethical compass drives the way they do business. That is for those who are not already thinking these matters through.

In the meantime, people like Richard, Francine, myself and Adrienne will keep plugging away at the issues – even if that means we individually and collectively sound like Cassandra. At times completely out of step with consensus thinking, at others apparently baying at the moon.

I suspect all four of us are optimists: we have to be or it would not be worth bothering. That’s why Dennis can write that great second paragraph. It’s what we want to do.

But sure as heck we’ve got some way to go: although it’s obvious things cannot and will not survive as they are now the majority remain with their heads in the sand.

PWC’s blood stained ties

Accounting, Dennis Howlett, PWC Comments Off

Mar 302009

I refer to you Dennis Howlett’s piece under the above title.

I have nothing to add.

But let’s be clear – when I accuse my own profession of having blood and death on its hands in the developing countries of this world – I mean it.

Sir Fred Goodwin

Accounting, Banking, Dennis Howlett, Ethics 1 Response »

Mar 022009

Dennis Howlett has a blog on the above topic under the title McCarthyism revista | AccMan.

I agree with him: a kangaroo court for Sir Fred is madness. The idea we might use parliamentary time to limit his pension is crazy.

For heaven’s sake – let’s get on and use the effort and anger to change the regulatory environment – to bring in tax rates that means those with high earnings pay their dues – to put effective sanctions on offshore – to require transparency in accounting – and so much more.

He’s a symbol of our failure.

Now let’s put the future right.

A transparent 2009?

Accounting, Dennis Howlett Comments Off

Jan 012009

Dennis Howlett, who was the man who got me into blogging, has a thoughtful posting on his AccMan blog this morning. Reflecting on Alan Rusbridger’s essay on the problems of getting tax stories reported in the media he says:

Goodness knows it does its best in a world dumbed down by sound bites. Alan’s essay is testament to that. The harsh reality is that independent experts prepared to do the hard work for the public good are in very, very short supply. If in reading this you’re getting bored with my continuing to mention Francine and Richard [Murphy] then that’s telling you something about the lack of heroes prepared to put their head above the parapet and use their skills to unpack the real story. And if you’re thinking ‘What about Woodward and Bernstein?’ then remember they had ‘Deep Throat’ to guide them all the way. You are very unlikely to find those types of character prepared to come forward in the multi-billion dollar tax and audit world.

Collectively and with others like Prem Sikka, we have voices that are increasingly being heard. We may have slightly different agendas but on one thing I am certain we are agreed. The profession is at real risk of being relegated to history as an artefact of a bygone age. It doesn’t have to be that way. I’ve always held the view that professionals have a pivotal role to play in guiding business. But‚Ä¶the profession has to change. Allowing itself to be bulldozed is not a great starting point.

My hope for 2009 is that the transparency so many of us have been screaming for will finally start to become a meaningful concept in the context of business that has become dangerously opaque. If we see progress on that front, then perhaps it will become much easier to explain what’s happening to the public and in so doing, bring attention to matters which affect us all.

I’ll second that Dennis.

And I’ll also offer my thanks in advance to those with whom I’ll share this journey in 2009, noted above or not.