Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders

Protesters are descending on Whitehall today to demand the resignation of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) boss Dave Hartnett for his role in approving deals that allow big companies to avoid billions in tax.

Greedy-fat-cat Activists from UK Uncut and Occupy London are protesting Hartnett’s role in approving “secret sweetheart deals” to allow feral companies to dodge billions in tax – money that could have been used to fund public services going into the pockets of the irresponsible rich.

Hartnett was made to answer MPs’ questions over the scandal, which enabled Vodafone and Goldman Sachs to effectively rob the taxpayer of £6 billion and £10 million respectively. MPs on the public accounts committee have accused Hartnett of abusing his position to “cover up his own mistakes”.

A survey in 2010 revealed Hartnett to be Britain’s most ‘wined and dined’ civil servant, treated by corporations 107 times in three years. Commentators from across the political spectrum and even Conservative MPs have also called on Hartnett to resign.

As Occupy London’s Kyshia Davey says:

“HMRC has just announced it will be going after 146,000 pensioners to demand hundreds of pounds from them following a tax code cock-up. Meanwhile, its boss is striking secret deals with opulent corporations to let them off billions of pounds in tax.

“Hartnett is fatally undermining public confidence in the UK’s tax system at a time of austerity and he must resign immediately.”

And UK Uncut’s Sam Gilbert adds:

“Whilst 25,000 rank-and-file staff at HMRC have been fired, leaving the organisation almost incapable of functioning, Hartnett has been carving out a career as the most ‘wined and dined’ civil servant in Whitehall.

“The money from Vodafone’s £6bn tax dodge alone could have prevented all of the cuts in public services over the past year.”

All in it together?

See also:

• Exclusive: 98 of the FTSE 100 companies are addicted to tax havens – Asha Tharoor, October 11th 2011

• Glasto, where the tax dodgers are named – Dominic Browne, June 24th 2011

• Balls: “Rock and roll” time for tax avoiders – Dominic Browne, March 18th 2011

• Millionaire footballers exposed as the latest tax dodgers – Shamik Das, January 17th 2011

• A crackdown on tax dodgers will help the poor and make huge cuts unnecessary – Paul Collins, October 20th 2010

http://twitter.com/mcmlxxvi_ad/status/128457918709374976 MCMLXXVI.a.d.

Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders l Shamik Das – http://t.co/wqajHLcx
http://twitter.com/seeandconnect/status/128458732001705984 Veena Vasista

RT @leftfootfwd: Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders http://t.co/m0Geyw9D
http://twitter.com/samanthaj494/status/128459486821232641 Samantha Johnston

Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders: http://t.co/1e4oDjFH by @ShamikDas @UKuncut @OccupyLSX
http://twitter.com/adpucci/status/128463838147383296 Pucci D

Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders: http://t.co/1e4oDjFH by @ShamikDas @UKuncut @OccupyLSX
http://twitter.com/louisebaldock/status/128466695269531648 Louise Baldock

Is it all over for Dave Hartnett at HMRC? http://t.co/mh4ujrLN
http://twitter.com/deardaveandnick/status/128467925706354688 Bern O’Donoghue

Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders l Shamik Das – http://t.co/wqajHLcx
http://twitter.com/samanthaj494/status/128477025676693504 Samantha Johnston

Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders l Shamik Das – http://t.co/wqajHLcx
http://twitter.com/labour52rose/status/128478099405942784 Alex Braithwaite

RT @leftfootfwd: Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders http://t.co/Ahwnsf7L
http://twitter.com/mikefcampbell/status/128503366358802433 Mike Campbell

RT @leftfootfwd: Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders http://t.co/4aGenpri
http://twitter.com/danielelton/status/128515548232433664 danielelton

@occupylsx @aaronjohnpeters @ukuncut The 99% versus HMRC Boss Hartnett on @leftfootfwd: http://t.co/9CAgXKyb #occupylsx
Mark Stevo

Has anyone been able to work out where the £6bn estimate in relation to Vodafone has come from? After all this time I haven’t been able to substantiate it.
http://twitter.com/spinwatch/status/128772310084759552 Spinwatch

Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/RqekZ4Rr
http://twitter.com/powerbase/status/128772307484295168 Powerbase

Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/gSXU5tES
http://twitter.com/mervyn_carter/status/128782042921058305 Mervyn Carter

Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/RqekZ4Rr
http://twitter.com/bbri439/status/128792146802257920 brian hocknull

Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/RqekZ4Rr
http://twitter.com/eliz_nelson/status/128800355579478016 Elizabeth Nelson

Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/RqekZ4Rr
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/occupy-london-top-five-reasons-why-you-cannot-protest-according-to-the-right/ Top five reasons why you can’t protest (according to the right) | Left Foot Forward

[...] also: • Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders – Shamik Das, October 24th [...]
GK

He should be sacked anyway for running the most incompetent and un-user friendly department in Government.
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/the-mails-rent-a-rev-called-for-gays-to-be-tattooed-with-health-warnings/ The Mail’s rent-a-rev called for gays to be tattooed with health warnings | Left Foot Forward

[...] Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders – Shamik Das, October 24th [...]
http://twitter.com/sophable/status/129667521287692288 Sophie H

Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders: http://t.co/1e4oDjFH by @ShamikDas @UKuncut @OccupyLSX
http://twitter.com/andyjameshicks/status/130366820426326016 Andy Hicks

RT @leftfootfwd: Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders http://t.co/9B1LVjzP I totally agree with this.
http://twitter.com/labour52rose/status/130378363545206784 Alex Braithwaite

RT @leftfootfwd: Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding with tax avoiders http://t.co/9B1LVjzP I totally agree with this.
http://twitter.com/buffalonyusnews/status/130751406566158336 ALEX GILBERT

UK: Protesters demand resignation of HMRC boss for colluding w/tax avoider corporations: http://t.co/tSweQVSC
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/12/public-accounts-committee-report-on-big-business-tax-dodging/ Tax isn’t taxing when you’re Goldman Sachs | Left Foot Forward

[...] instance, when the committee turned its attention to the Vodafone tax bill, which we’ve covered previously, it had grave concerns about the fact that the HMRC refused to answer its questions, [...]