HMRC - the EA and the like

[Mr Tickle]

Morning All

I was wondering if any of these agencies are still active in doing inspections or checks on our operations?

A few years back many of us had a visit from HMRC where they were following the methanol trail and dropping in on anyone purchasing biodiesel volumes of it, I think they were getting their info from our purchase details off the suppliers. My own inspection came to my work place, had a long chat, asked to see my purchase history of meth, dipped the car and off they went.

I was only wondering if they were still up to this or has the number of people cooking at home dropped off to such an extent that they don't  do it any more or they are now only checking for users of large quantities?

Maybe with the imminent demise of the Diesel car they have knocked it on the head and used their re-sources elsewhere.

[nigelb]

I rather think that HMRC are busy chasing down all those buisnesses that made fraudulant claims on the furlough scheme. Loads in Leicester. Especially the knitwear sweatshops on the east side of the city.

[dgs]

Yes, I think they would be wasting their time checking on people nowadays.

Nige, a related question here; I remember years ago you posted on here that your company had to send hmrc details of everyone that purchased methanol. Names addresses, quantity, dates etc etc. However the company where i purchased my methanol for several years had never heard of this. They also sell ethanol and told me the sales of this are very tightly recorded but methanol not so. Just wondered why the big difference. 

[nigelb]

I think Barry was just following instructions from the revenue. He was asked to keep tabs on the sale of other alcohols and solvents as well.

[WesleyB]

"Just wondered why the big difference?" .  Buying methanol in Texas isn't tightly controlled .  Ethanol , grain alcohol is taxed in a variety of ways . There's industrial grade ethanol which can be up to one hundred per cent pure .  Industrial alcohol is not taxed here in Texas but an inexpensive manufacturers license is required to distill industrial grain alcohol . Another reason ethanol is tightly controlled here is it can be used to crystalize illegal drugs , like heroin . There are many legal uses for 200 proof ethanol like motor fuel .  Methanol is toxic and isn't suitable for most drug making .  I believe some racing cars run on methanol .

[WesleyB]

I thought I would write a formula for Ethyl Alcohol that might be useful to the UK .  There are natural gas wells over there in the UK .  Separate the ethane from natural gas . React it with sulfuric acid to get ethylene .  React the ethylene with water at high pressure and temperature  to get ethyl alcohol , industrial grade ethanol .  I believe there was a factory in Pasadena , Texas , USA , near Houston that was making ethyl alcohol from natural gas .  This is a formula a professor taught the organic chemistry class I was in about 30 years ago .  The cost of the ethanol was less than ten USA dollars per gallon a few years ago .  It might be convenient to have a lot of ethanol rather than ethane considering storage requirements and cost .  The might have been a mineral acid catalyst when reacting water with ethylene , I'm not sure of that detail 

[Head Womble]

Yes, I think they would be wasting their time checking on people nowadays.

Nige, a related question here; I remember years ago you posted on here that your company had to send hmrc details of everyone that purchased methanol. Names addresses, quantity, dates etc etc. However the company where i purchased my methanol for several years had never heard of this. They also sell ethanol and told me the sales of this are very tightly recorded but methanol not so. Just wondered why the big difference.

The main reason is ethanol is used in fake vodka.

[nigelb]

Plenty of people been poisoned in and around Boston, Lincs in recent years. East Europeans distilling and getting the fractions wrong.

[paulp]

Yes, I think they would be wasting their time checking on people nowadays.

Nige, a related question here; I remember years ago you posted on here that your company had to send hmrc details of everyone that purchased methanol. Names addresses, quantity, dates etc etc. However the company where i purchased my methanol for several years had never heard of this. They also sell ethanol and told me the sales of this are very tightly recorded but methanol not so. Just wondered why the big difference.

I am thinking about getting back into bio making again after 2 years out. I have been still collecting oil but was wandering where to get methanol from. I used to get mine from Terry but he has given up.
Where do you get yours from