Dave Hartnett
Encyclopedia
David Anthony "Dave" Hartnett CB
(born 25 February 1951) is a British civil servant
who is currently (as of 2011) serving as the Permanent Secretary for Tax at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
He has been a member of Her Majesty's Commissioners of Revenue and Customs, the formal governing board of HMRC, since it was created in 2005, having previously been a board member of the Inland Revenue
. When Paul Gray
resigned as Chairman following the loss of the Child Benefit database
, Hartnett took over the post in an acting capacity. After permanent replacements were appointed, Mike Clasper as non-executive Chairman and Lesley Strathie
as Chief Executive, Hartnett was appointed to a new post of Second Permanent Secretary for Tax, with responsibility for tax professionalism.
stores across the UK following allegations of tax evasion of up to £6 billion, illustrated in a series of articles in Private Eye
. These articles alleged preferential treatment of Vodafone due to personal connections between Hartnett and John Connors, Vodafone's head of tax, a former colleague at HMRC.
In May 2011 Private Eye alleged Hartnett personally "shook hands" on a deal over a long-running tax avoidance dispute with Goldman Sachs
dating back to 2002, without consulting HMRC lawyers, letting the US bank off around £10m in interest. Complaints from HMRC informants that that Hartnett personally intervened in settlement cases and agreed to "sweetheart deals" with no explanation or consultation with lawyers have also been published. In October 2011, The Guardian published leaked papers regarding the deal.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(born 25 February 1951) is a British civil servant
British Civil Service
Her Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as the Home Civil Service, is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports Her Majesty's Government - the government of the United Kingdom, composed of a Cabinet of ministers chosen by the prime minister, as well as the devolved...
who is currently (as of 2011) serving as the Permanent Secretary for Tax at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Career
Hartnett led the 2000 quinquennial review of the Valuation Office Agency before joining the Board of Inland Revenue as Director General (Policy and Technical). Following the merger of the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise, he became HMRC's Director General for Customer Contact and Compliance Strategy and then Director General for Business.He has been a member of Her Majesty's Commissioners of Revenue and Customs, the formal governing board of HMRC, since it was created in 2005, having previously been a board member of the Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
. When Paul Gray
Paul Gray (civil servant)
Paul Richard Charles Gray, CB was a British civil servant who was Chairman of HM Revenue & Customs until he resigned on 20 November 2007.- Early career :...
resigned as Chairman following the loss of the Child Benefit database
2007 UK child benefit data scandal
The loss of United Kingdom child benefit data was a data breach incident in October 2007, when two computer discs owned by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs containing data relating to child benefit went missing. The incident was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, on...
, Hartnett took over the post in an acting capacity. After permanent replacements were appointed, Mike Clasper as non-executive Chairman and Lesley Strathie
Lesley Strathie
Dame Lesley Ann Strathie, DCB is a British Civil Servant. She recently stepped down as Chief Executive of and Permanent Secretary to HM Revenue and Customs due to ill health.....
as Chief Executive, Hartnett was appointed to a new post of Second Permanent Secretary for Tax, with responsibility for tax professionalism.
Incorrect income tax collection
In September 2010 Hartnett was widely criticised for refusing to apologise for the HMRC scandal that saw millions of people being asked for back dated tax after it was revealed that his department had failed to collect tax correctly. He told BBC Radio Four "I'm not sure a need to apologise ...We didn't get it wrong." He later did issue an unreserved apology.Corporate tax avoidance
From October 2010 onwards protesters have been blockading and protesting outside VodafoneVodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
stores across the UK following allegations of tax evasion of up to £6 billion, illustrated in a series of articles in Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
. These articles alleged preferential treatment of Vodafone due to personal connections between Hartnett and John Connors, Vodafone's head of tax, a former colleague at HMRC.
In May 2011 Private Eye alleged Hartnett personally "shook hands" on a deal over a long-running tax avoidance dispute with Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
dating back to 2002, without consulting HMRC lawyers, letting the US bank off around £10m in interest. Complaints from HMRC informants that that Hartnett personally intervened in settlement cases and agreed to "sweetheart deals" with no explanation or consultation with lawyers have also been published. In October 2011, The Guardian published leaked papers regarding the deal.