Video- Anti-tax avoidance campaigners rally against UK top tax collectors

That’s why there’s so much upset over a deal brokered by the country’s top taxman.

Dave Hartnett is the head of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, who are in charge of collecting and administering taxes.

He’s admitted letting investment bankers Goldman Sachs away without paying around ten million pounds of tax. Meanwhile, mobile phone operators Vodafone were excused of over four billion pounds.

At a time when thousands of public sector jobs are at risk, it’s the worst news that anti-cuts campaigners could hear.

Around twenty five thousand staff here at HM Revenue and Customs have lost their jobs because of recent government austerity cuts. Their boss meanwhile is accused of letting off several big companies with billions of pounds of tax. That’s enough money, these campaigners say, to fund all twenty five thousand of those jobs.

Many others have lost their jobs because of these cuts, knowing that big business is depriving the country of essential money, to them, is disheartening.

Among those outside the office doors of Dave Hartnett, under the watchful eye of the police, are people from around the world who have come to show their support.

Many of those here came from the Occupy London camp, which at the weekend set up a second location.

Their opposition to the current capitalist financial system takes in anger at those who avoid paying taxes.

Dave Hartnett has admitted “making a mistake” in letting Goldman Sachs with such a large sum, and is currently co-operating with the Government Public Accounts Committee.