John Whiting, tax policy director at the Chartered Institute of Taxation, will join HMRC as a non-executive director on 1 April. He will step down from the CIOT role but remain involved in the institute, as well as remaining in post as tax director of the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS).
Whiting, pictured, was a tax partner at PwC for 25 years before taking on the CIOT role, and was awarded the OBE for service to the tax profession in 2008.
‘The CIOT has long argued that there needs to be more tax experience at the top of HMRC, including on the department’s board,’ said CIOT president Patrick Stevens.
‘I am delighted that the government are delivering this with the appointment of an experienced tax professional such as John Whiting to the department’s board. The institute’s loss will be HMRC’s gain. John’s expertise and understanding of the tax system is unsurpassed.’
Whiting is a member of the first-tier tax tribunal and a well-known commentator on tax issues. He is also a member of Tax Journal’s editorial board. The OTS was established in 2010 as an ‘independent office of the Treasury’ for the life of the current parliament.
Stevens added: ‘It is good that the government recognise the benefits of having a board member with ongoing continuous engagement with tax professionals. Obviously we will take care to ensure there is no danger of any conflict of interest in any of John’s continuing involvement with the institute. We will also work to minimise any perception of a conflict of interest.’
‘A rich mix of board-level experience’
Volker Beckers and Norman Pickavance joined HMRC’s main board on 1 January. In a press release, HMRC said Beckers, Pickavance and Whiting would take on posts that became vacant after the departure of John Spence and Phil Hodkinson, and Ian Barlow’s success in the competition to become HMRC’s lead non-executive in September last year.
In addition to their main board roles, Beckers will chair a new scrutiny committee, Pickavance will join the people, nominations and governance committee and Whiting will chair the audit and risk committee.
Exchequer secretary David Gauke said: ‘These appointments provide a rich mix of board-level experience. They have a lot to offer the HMRC board and will bring new and further capability and credible challenge to board discussions and to the new executive team.’
Four additional appointments would strengthen HMRC board committees, the department said.
Chief executive Lin Homer said the appointees had ‘vast experience to share with HMRC’. She thanked Spence and Hodkinson for their ‘valuable contributions’ over the past five years.
Barlow said: ‘These appointments create a group of non-executives with a wide range of skills and experience, including the management of change in large-scale organisations, customer service, building and advising small businesses, and financial and tax expertise.’
