Are the people running HMRC’s catastrophic computer system tax avoiders?

Here we go again, another almighty cock-up at HMRC’s computer system. At the busiest time of the year – the end of one tax year and start of the next – HMRC closes its useless computer system down for four days. Only the incompetent fools at HMRC could decide to do routine maintenance when taxpayers have most need of the computer system to work. But in all the stories about HMRC’s complete incompetence, one name is cleverly kept out of the press – that of French computer systems company Cap Gemini. As far as I know, Cap Gemini have been running HMRC’s computer systems for many years and still are. In spite of blunder after blunder the avaricious Cap Gemini manage to keep their lucrative contract with HMRC without anyone in power questioning why Cap Gemini’s repeated failures keep getting rewarded by more government contracts.

By the way, dear HMRC, if you wish to collect more tax revenue and reduce the deficit, what about looking into how Cap Gemini’s bosses organise their tax affairs. In particular you may find an investigation, particularly into how some French gentlemen organise their tax affairs, to be most productive. On the other hand it may not be. Who knows?