NEW COMPUTER DATABASE WILL LEAD TO WELSHPOOL TAX OFFICE JOB LOSSES (Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats)

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Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats <montlibdems@gmail.com>

NEW COMPUTER DATABASE WILL LEAD TO WELSHPOOL TAX OFFICE JOB LOSSES

April 23, 2009 1:12 PM

Lembit Öpik MP visited Welshpool Tax Office this Monday (20th April) to meet with staff concerned about its planned closure in Spring 2010.

HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) is introducing a new computer database this summer, reducing the need to staff smaller tax offices, including the office in Welshpool.

Commenting on the meeting, he said:

"Even if this computer system works, and the Government hardly has a great track record with these, I am deeply concerned that the closure of small rural offices such as Welshpool will reduce the HMRC's ability to collect tax.

"The staff at Welshpool Tax Office are highly praised by managers as dedicated, hardworking and committed. Staff are very experienced due to a significantly lower staff turnover at the Welshpool office than other offices: they have even recently taken on backlog work from large offices at Wrexham, Cardiff and even as far away as Cambridge.

"Not only will the local connection be lost if the nearest tax offices become Wrexham and Cardiff, but all that expertise will be lost too.

"I'm also worried that staff are not being given the assistance they need to find new positions in other Government and Welsh Assembly departments. Although individual managers are being really helpful, the staff are being denied training because there are not enough funds. It's ironic, because these are exactly the people to collect these funds."

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