PwC fails to fawn over Whiting
Firm takes muted line to Whiting's plans on tax simplification
TS could kinda forgive PwC’s tax bods for being a bit respectful (fawning: Ed) of the Office of Tax Simplification’s plans.
With the firm’s former tax doyen John Whiting heading up the tax-simplifying quango, PwC might be expected to take an easy line on the OTS.
Not so. PwC’s press release last week in response to OTS plans to simplify small biz tax showed a certain lack of enthusiasm, shall we say.
Partner Alex Henderson takes the classic management technique: say something nice, then criticise by stretching a metaphor to the Nth degree.
“The OTS is carrying out sterling work in beginning the thinking on simplification and bringing some much needed cleansing sunshine to the tax system. But the problem with blue sky thinking is that once you start delving into the existing forest of potential problems, pretty soon you can’t see daylight at all…”
TS is sure that the reed-like Whiting can handle a gentle crosswind in the forest that is UK tax – even from his former employer.
