LITRG Technical Officer recognised in King’s Birthday Honours

LITRG, an initiative of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT), was founded in 1998 and aims to give a voice to those unable to pay for tax advice in the tax system.  

Meredith, a Chartered Tax Adviser, joined the LITRG team as a Technical Officer in 2013, after starting her career in tax at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Meredith leads LITRG’s work on labour market issues among other areas. Since joining LITRG she has gained recognition externally as an expert in her field. In addition, Meredith also volunteers for the tax charities TaxAid and Tax Help for Older People. In 2020, Meredith won the Rising Star award at the Tolley’s Taxation Awards for her work on the loan charge and her key role in the wider tax community.

Victoria Todd, Head of LITRG said:

“There are few people who are as passionate and dedicated to their work as Meri. She is a champion for unrepresented taxpayers and gives up much of her own personal time to trying to make the tax system easier to navigate for low income, unrepresented taxpayers both by campaigning for change as well as providing help to taxpayers through her guidance writing and more recently through LITRG’s new TikTok channel. In addition to her role with LITRG, she is also a volunteer for the tax charities Tax Aid and Tax Help for Older People. More recently, Meri was able to share her passion, enthusiasm and knowledge with policy officials as part of a six month secondment to HMRC and we know that those she worked with in HMRC hugely appreciated her input and she made a significant impact in a short period of time. 

“Meri’s commitment to use her technical skills to help those unable to pay for advice, both inside and outside of LITRG, is inspiring to all of us who work with her. She is intelligent, enthusiastic, kind-hearted and always willing to help. It is therefore right that her hard work and dedication has been recognised with this fantastic award."

Nichola Ross Martin, President of the CIOT, commented:

“This award is testament to Meri’s passion and hard work and to the achievements of LITRG as a whole. In recent years, LITRG has been shining a light on the problems faced by low-income umbrella company workers and has been instrumental in pressing for strong options for tackling tax non-compliance in the market, which the Government has now responded to. LITRG has also been pressing HMRC to act in relation to unscrupulous refund agents and a number of steps have now been taken, making it much harder for these companies to exploit low income taxpayers. Additionally LITRG has been at the forefront of providing detailed, practical information to low-income workers affected by the loan charge. Meri has played a central role in securing these changes and supporting taxpayers." 

Reacting to the award, Meredith McCammond said:

"I’m totally surprised and honoured to receive the BEM—but in truth, this award reflects the work of the entire LITRG team. From all of the personal experiences we bring to LITRG, we know the chaos and disadvantage that can shape people’s lives. Add a tax issue into that mix—one that, without support, can spiral and stay with someone for years—and it becomes clear why LITRG’s work remains so vital.

“Whether it is a care leaver whose first ever job offer is on a falsely self-employed basis or a migrant worker in our public services at risk of being paid through disguised remuneration, through our work, we see the transformative impact that being able to understand and navigate your tax position can have. We’ll continue to push for better systems and processes to ensure no one is left behind.”

Notes 

1. A British Empire Medal (BEM) is awarded for achievement or contribution of a very “hands-on” service to the community. BEM recipients are presented with their medal by their Lord-Lieutenant at a local ceremony and also invited to attend a Royal Garden Party. 

2. This is not the first time that the work of individuals from LITRG has been recognised. Among others, in 2003, John Andrews, founding Chairman of LITRG and former CIOT President was awarded an OBE. In 2008 former CIOT President John Whiting, also a LITRG volunteer, was awarded an OBE for public service. Paddy Millard, then LITRG volunteer, who set up the charity Tax Help for Older People in 2001, was awarded an MBE in 2009. In 2015, the late Robin Williamson, LITRG’s Technical Director for many years, was awarded an MBE. 

3. More about LITRG’s TikTok pilot, which aims to reach more unrepresented taxpayers with key tax information, can be found in the blog post here: Tackling tax with TikTok