Are some tax advisers paying more than they need to?

Some years ago on my first visit to Penrith, Cumbria, to present a talk to the local CIOT branch, I took a cab to the venue. 

The driver asked me what I was doing in Penrith and I explained: “I’m here to give a lecture to a group of tax advisers”. 

For a moment I was thrown as he seemed very miffed. 

It then became clear from his reply that he had misheard me: “It would be nice to have been invited. I’ve been a taxi driver here for over ten years!” I was unable to keep a straight face! 

I shared the story during my talk and at the tea-break one of the delegates came over to explain she’d had a similar problem recently. 

When arranging her car insurance by phone, she was astonished by the premium quote. It was more than 8 times what she had paid the previous year. 

She queried the figure and was told this was due to her profession, and the risks inherent in this. “What are the inherent risks of being a tax adviser?” she asked. 

At which point it became apparent the insurer had thought she said she was a ‘taxi driver’.