Happy birthday to us!
Today is our first anniversary. Unfortunately we had to send back the delicious-looking cake sent to us by the TaxPayers' Alliance - we couldn't be sure who'd paid for it, let alone what was in it - and settle for this sorry-looking muffin instead.
Many thanks to all of you who have visited, sent tips, tweeted, left comments and blogged about us. Over the past 12 months we've had more than 15,000 unique website visitors, built up a mailing list of nearly 1,000 and a Facebook group of 670 members.
Six months ago we asked for your views on what we should do next. Some of those questions remain unresolved – through lack of time rather than will. Do keep sending feedback – we always take notice even if we don't manage to act on it immediately.
Recent signs that parts of the media are becoming more probing in their coverage of the TaxPayers' Alliance are particularly pleasing. We reported recently on correspondence from the BBC, but take a look, too, at how Information Age covered a TPA report on IT overspends (and check out this tweet from another IT journalist). And we are heartened by a poll this week showing that most voters want a more progressive tax system and are against public service cuts.
The Guardian investigation into TPA funding deserves a special mention too - though neither they nor we have yet got to the bottom of the TPA's mysterious funding. We shall keep trying.
Posted by Clifford Singer at 11:11am on 26 November 2009
Comments
Happy Birthday to a vital resource for those of us who need to challenge the arrant nonsense put out by the Tax Dodgers Alliance!!!
Posted by Chris Bartter at 04:03pm on 26 November 2009
Happy Birthday.
I do think the TPA should investigate the waste if tax on private schools having charitable status - they should be paying VAT and corporation tax like the rest of us! Try telling them this!
Posted by Jack at 05:54pm on 26 November 2009
Well done to the Inspector, Clifford, and all who’ve chipped in with the (O)TPA over the last year. You’ve done an impressive job.
Posted by John at 08:30pm on 26 November 2009
Media guidelines: reporting the TPA
TaxPayers' Alliance quote generator