Is the Inland Revenue your friend or enemy?

Icarus. I was in the same employment for about 30 years. I have a good pension which of course I pay tax but I do need to keep my stamp going so I go to the dole office ever two weeks. Females need to pay stamp for over 40 years. I actually find it quite interesting.

depends which country you are from.

I am a UK citizen born and bred
I certainly pay a lot of tax
I also pay for all of my own bills.
I work, hard, and have done for the last 16 years.

In return... now lets see.
I was unemployed for about 8 months.
6 months of this I was not paid any of the benefit that I had been paying into for years because... because I didn't know the system, the staff didn't know the system

Oh i'm not going to bore you with the details but i'm really glad the government takes hundreds and hundreds of pounds out of my wages every month. I see it as a sound investment into my future.

Forty years from now I KNOW that the money will be there for me to buy as many Union Jack embellished articles of clothing as I want and still have enough pension left to but a brussel sprout and a bus trip home.

Oh, I love the inland revenue!! Their staff are so polite and friendly, they are always so willing to please, I'm sure they truly regret having to steal a big chunk of my wages, and they are always to quick to return any overpayments which they have taken! (dripping with sarcasm, just incase anyone takes me seriously, lol!)

Well, as I worked there for 42 years, I'd have to say friend. Staff try to do their job fairly, but people don't usually like what they are told. Those people can be personally abusive, staff just have to take it. The Government of the day is who sets the agenda and spends (wastes?) the money.
In the end it has similarities with the police. Law enforcement, although of a different kind. We don't make the rules, and can't suspend them just for you, however much you feel hard done by. Staff do their best with the limited resources they are given. The Government are non-ceasing with the pressures put on staff, and morale is currently at an all time low. I have to admit, I am glad to be out of it.

Under the control of the right government,it is a necessary evil that has a function just like any other public institution.

However,New Labour has retrained these public offices to be dark,secretive,invasive,intrusive bringers of misery.