Drug dealers, feral teens, sex offenders and a host of other low-lives frequently receive pathetically inadequate penalties for their anti-social, unlawful activities.
So the decisions to fine a pair of grandparents £45,000, a Yorkshire couple £29,000, and an Essex man £103,000 may suggest the authorities are finally cracking down on the criminal element.
But far from having committed some heinous crime, they all have one thing in common; they are in the construction industry. Their only offence was to offer regular work to CIS4 card-holding subbies.
To my mind, it is a scandal that such massive fines are being levied against a hard working community. Rather than being encouraged, their very existence is increasingly threatened by a taxation directive that has been designed to raise revenue - in much the same way that speed cameras operate.
To make sure you don't unwittingly place yourself in line for a nasty surprise, be aware of one of HMRC's more cynical ploys.
When the Revenue is considering a status investigation, subbies are frequently invited to attend an 'informal' meeting to discuss their working arrangements.
The operatives are reassured they are not under investigation, but make no mistake, HMRC is looking for anything that helps them build a case against contractors, who could then find themselves involved in a lengthy investigation, which often ends in a huge fine.
I suggest you alert your subbies to the fact these 'informal' meetings are nothing of the sort.
Richard Crisp
Sales director
Hudson Contract Services