Anthony Thomas, the president of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, has launched a scathing attack on the media's reporting of taxation, describing it as derogatory and deceiving. Politicians were not spared criticism either for the part they play in creating misunderstanding of tax issues.
Mr Thomas accused the media of deliberately misleading the public in favour of creating sensational headlines. To emphasise this point he singled out a comment made by Peter Oborne, a columnist for the Daily Telegraph who, on Budget Day last month wrote, “There are few more worthless specimens of humanity than tax accountants and tax lawyers, and if some of them are put out of business…. so much the better.” In defence of his members he pointed out that the wealthy only form a minute percentage of their clients, with the majority of clients being ordinary taxpayers.
He highlighted the blurring of the lines between tax avoidance and evasion that has been created by politicians and senior Revenue officials.
The freelance community will identify with Mr Thomas's anger and frustration over media misreporting as, over the last few months, the use of personal service companies by celebrities, public figures and within the public sector have been portrayed as wrongdoing with the real facts being conveniently missed out. As we all know though, the truth is often less interesting and doesn't sell papers.
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