Friday, August 26, 2022

Alternative names for HMRC

Back in 2004 the FT asked its readers to come up with a name for the merging departments of the Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise. The merger took effect from April 2005 since when the organisation has been known as HMRC or HM Revenue & Customs or simply The Revenue. Plenty in the media and in Parliament have also continued to refer to the body, incorrectly, as the Inland Revenue - as if the last 7 years had never happened).


The winning entry in the FT's competition was suggested by Ed Troup, who is now Director General Tax and Welfare at HM Treasury. He suggested: Finance Collection UK though it would have been known by its initials, were they not already in use by the retail chain French Connection.

 Other suggestions included:
  • iTax 
  • Taxes R Us
With the benefit of 7 years experience, what abbreviations or names might be more appropriate now if The Revenue was to go for a rebrand?

Those I've seen suggested recently include:
  • As an acronym HMRC is HoMewReCker!
  • Department of National Financing 
  • Department of National Funding 
  • Department of Social Financing
  • Duties, Income Levies, Deductions, Operations (but that might have some initial problems)
  • DRC = Department for Revenue Collection
  • P I N C H - Processing Income Now Creates Help (...for tomorrow) 
  • Crown Revenue Service 
  • British Revenue Services 
Any more?

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