What improvements would you like to see from HMRC

dori2o

jem16 wrote: »

Email communication would be good but it needs to be secure messages as some banks do via internet banking logins.

I would like to see electronic transfers straight into the bank for PAYE refunds. Unless it's changed recently I was told this wasn't possible and they would simply send a cheque by post to the bank.

It is correct that a cheque is sent to the bank.

Last time we asked about this we were told it would take legislation changes as there is no scope to issue bacs payments within the current statute for PAYE repayments.

I've looked several times but have never been able to verify this myself.

dori2o

laticsforlife wrote: »

Can o' worms eh!

Improvements I'd like to see;
Scrap current PMR process
Scrap current use of Pacesetter for Pacesetter's sake
Stop eroding pensions (pay more in, work 7 years longer for it, and get less out)
Stop losing all the skilled staff due to 173 office closures
A pay rise at least once that's more than 1% (rather than none for 5 years then 1% for the next 5).

Oh, sorry you meant in terms of the customer - hang on, do all the above and the staff won't feel like they are undervalued and actually perform better for the customer, just a thought, radical!

To be honest I don't think there is an issue with staff performance. I think the majority of staff perform consistently well and most hit or exceed the KPI's.

I'm not sayibg that I disagree with what you say, but as per the information given in the Union meetings last week, we have to accept PMR is here to stay although the PCS is fighting for them to amend it slightly. Pacesetter will be a thing of the past IMO when the CSC rollout begins.

The office closures are virtually set in stone. This Government have proven with our pensions that they will do what they want even if they are defeated under a Judicial Review they'll just change the law to suit their own agenda, just as they did with the pensions issue.

The PCS can call for all the Jucicial Reviews and public consultations they want, it won't change a thing. Come 2020 Trinity Bridge House in Salford and Albert Bridge House in Manchester, plus the remaining smaller offices that are still around will be closed and everyone in those offices will be relocated into a new building in Manchester City Centre (possibly a brand new purpose built building).

That will be the same for the other smaller offices around the country, they will be closed and relocated into one of the other 12 regional centres.

These regional centres are due to be located in the following areas.

• North East of England - Newcastle
• North West of England - Manchester and Liverpool
• Yorkshire and the Humber - Leeds
• East Midlands - Nottingham
• West Midlands - Birmingham
• Wales - Cardiff
• Northern Ireland - Belfast
• Scotland - Glasgow and Edinburgh
• South West of England - Bristol
• London, South East and East of England - Stratford and Croydon

dori2o

chrismac1 wrote: »

One simple change - give agents view access to clients' VAT and PAYE accounts in the same way we can see SA and corporation tax. This will improve the quality of the data AND reduce call volumes.

In SA, for example, I have twice identified refunds posted to my clients' accounts which belonged to other people, who presumably would have been hassling HMRC about where the money had gone or maybe even in the clutches of Debt Management.

In the Brave New World, I can dash off e quick e-mail to let HMRC know and HMRC can quickly move the item off to the right account, job done.

With PAYE that will come with the roll out of the online tax accounts. The system is currently in a Private Beta testing stage with only selected customers being asked if they want to participate in the test. Once it goes to Public Beta then more people will be able to register and access the system. At this point I assume there will be information for agents on how they can access the system on behalf of their clients.

However I will still forward your comments.

chrismac1

Dori2o:

Can someone in HMRC please tell me why such a meal is being made of the PAYE and VAT rollouts? All that is needed is to copy the existing functionality on SA and CT into these other taxes. Job done. Estimated time to complete = 1 month max. not 2 years plus.

dori2o

chrismac1 wrote: »

Dori2o:

Can someone in HMRC please tell me why such a meal is being made of the PAYE and VAT rollouts? All that is needed is to copy the existing functionality on SA and CT into these other taxes. Job done. Estimated time to complete = 1 month max. not 2 years plus.

I would suggest that based on what I have read it's because the SA system as we know it will soon be abolished.

Everything is being geared around the new online accounts which I beleive are similar in design to the online business accounts.

SA is going to go through a massive change in the coming years. Effectively for large numvbers of those who currently do SA the Tax Return is going to be abolished. They will be expected to file their income/expenditure etc via the new online tax accounts on a more regular basis than is currently the case where they have 9 months following the end of the tax year to file their tax return AND pay their taxes.

It's likely to becme a system where they actually pay the tax due on earnings as they earn them, much like PAYE.

From the most basic information that came out following the December 2014 pre budget/Autumn statement announcement, it seems that only the most complex of cases will remain within a system which closely resembles the current SA system.

Everything else will be brand new.

I thought that agents/accountants had access to press releases etc on your Agents Portal regarding the 'Your Tax Account' online service. There is information within that which describes what is planned for the future.

As for why it's taking so long, it seems HMRC has finally learned a lesson rewgarding how it rolls out new systems. Remember the farce there was when NPS was rolled out, or when New Tax Credits system was rolled out. How about those who can remember back to 1996/1997 when SA was rolled out.

In terms of providing access to personal tax information this is the biggest change for a lifetime and they cannot afford to get this wrong.

patanne

Would they consider having a tax code similar to a K code but one where they can take more than 50% of the income. Or alternatively taxing the state pension, although I can see that may cause some issues. That would mean I wouldn't need to do SA. I am not looking forward to having to go online every 4 weeks to enter my state pension and then also pay online and what would happen in 53 & 54 week years? Would I be able to claim the internet access for something that HMRC are forcing me to do? When I get to 90 and am ill for a few weeks, will they start piling penalty charges on me? Maybe you could help them think this through!

I wish you were getting some more input from 'ordinary people'. I know that what professionals say is very important, but if they are making more people deal with this themselves then I would be happier if more were contributing. After all my viewpoint is, I know, very narrow. But I have friends the same age & younger who would no more be able to deal with online than they would tightrope walking over the Grand Canyon.

WannaBLoaded

I think you need to have less tax inspectors and concentrate on putting money into it to make peoples lives a bit easier.

dori2o

patanne wrote: »

Would they consider having a tax code similar to a K code but one where they can take more than 50% of the income. Or alternatively taxing the state pension, although I can see that may cause some issues. That would mean I wouldn't need to do SA. I am not looking forward to having to go online every 4 weeks to enter my state pension and then also pay online and what would happen in 53 & 54 week years? Would I be able to claim the internet access for something that HMRC are forcing me to do? When I get to 90 and am ill for a few weeks, will they start piling penalty charges on me? Maybe you could help them think this through!

I wish you were getting some more input from 'ordinary people'. I know that what professionals say is very important, but if they are making more people deal with this themselves then I would be happier if more were contributing. After all my viewpoint is, I know, very narrow. But I have friends the same age & younger who would no more be able to deal with online than they would tightrope walking over the Grand Canyon.

We don't know for sure what the new processes will be. It's only heresay at the moment based on what the chancellor announced in the Autumn statement last year.

The thing that annoys me about such announcements is that he's not the one who has to think about how these idea's of his (his teams) are a) going to work, and b) going to affect the ordinary man/woman in the street. (the best example of this is his meddling with tax credits which has turned into a complete and utter farce that is likely to define his reign as chancellor). Thats left down to HMRC and the treasury to decide and often it's a thankless task with little options, especially if he continues to make cuts from the budget of HMRC.

For cases like yours I think you will be removed from SA anyway and simply left within PAYE where an assessment will automatically be issued every year and you'll have to make a lump sum voluntary payment.

It all depends on what sort of transitional options they are prepared to offer.

I wouldn't worry too much about it until there is an official announcement on how the system is going to work.

The online service issn't even past the private beta test yet so it's not going to be this tax year or even the next.

patanne

To be honest I would be happy with a new 'take as much as they like' tax code. I have a somewhat small 'pot' which I haven't taken, firstly because I don't need it and secondly I am hoping if it grows enough and I get old enough, it will be enough to pay my tax and I can come off SA. I think that I have to do something by the time I am 75 - so just over 5 years to go. I am hoping they sort something out re tax by then or I will probably just take it all as cash! It won't cost me anymore in tax to do that than I would pay taking it annually.

An 'A' (for all) tax code which the 'customer' needs to agree to shouldn't be too hard to administer. It should just be a minor software change.

patanne

I don't know if any of this would come within what you are looking for but - if an employer is obliged to provide an employee with a P60 by the end of May, why are banks etc not obliged to also provide an interest/tax statement by the end of May. Their purpose is after all basically the same.

Sorry I suspect I am going off at too wide a tangent, but these are things that have caused some irritation over the years and unfortunately for you, you did ask, for which I am really grateful.