From the FT this morning: The Financial Reporting Council said on Thursday it was investigating whether KPMG was independent when it audited car dealer Pendragon’s financial statements for 2010 and 2011 as well as looking into a “non-timely disposal of a shareholding” in a client by a KPMG member. I’d refer you to the lecture I
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KPMG are one of the Big 4 firms of accountants. As such they have a lot to answer for. They’ve been guilty of tax crimes in the US. They audited the failed HBOS here, and gave it a clean bill of health. They’ve sold tax abuse. This year in the Channel Islands they argued against tax transparency. The
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The Jersey Evening Post has given us one of the clearest insights we could ask for on the role of KPMG in perpetuating tax haven abuse. As they note: A tax expert has urged Jersey and Guernsey not to accept the same tax deal with the UK that the Isle of Man signed up to
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I was on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 twice this morning. You can listen again here, and here.

I am on BBC Radio 4's The Today Programme this morning at 8.30 (ish) to discuss the role of the Big 4 firms of accountants in tax havens and in international tax avoidance. Let me reiterate what tax avoidance is. It is getting round tax law to obtain an advantage parliament did not intend. So
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KPMG have published their 2012 tax competition report, which looks at how countries compete with each other on tax rates. Their ranking is as follows: As KPMG’s UK head of tax policy Chris Morgan said of the report: This is good news for UK plc and an endorsement of the government’s tax policy. The significant change for the
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The FT carries a feature on Simon Collins, the new boss of KPMG in the UK this morning. It’s a rambling piece of corporate puffery ending with some of the challenges he might face, including how to handle aggressive tax avoidance. The article notes: Mr Collins defends the right to mitigate tax liabilities but says some taxpayers have been taking things too far. Tax
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Is she for real?

Thanks to Popbitch  and Vicki Lesley for this mini series… Well, I think it’s thanks