HMRC digital tax account

twhitehead

Having 20 seconds spare I went to self assessment page (to remind myself how Mr Cameron manages it) and I went on past the 2 stage verification, no mobile or anything. Of course it will be July before I can assemble all my bits and do a real job but I am reasonably happy now.:j

twhitehead

Last Sunday I went online to claim Gift Aid money back as Church Treasurer, no sign of 2 stage verification. Anyway, claimed as normal and refund was in our bank by Thursday. Today when I go online to do my own tax return 2 stage verification is back but with a LANDLINE option. I wish other government departments were so willing to learn, but I suppose this thread is now superfluous.:T

Jon_J.

This is all very well but:

a) why should I wish to permit HMRC to keep data on my phone numbers, particularly when they have already breached data protection for which they issued a pathetic 'cover up' excuse that the breach was untraceable because I deleted the 3rd party information the moment I had found it - i.e. they claim their systems have no historic activity log, and when I query this what do they do - yes, ignore the correspondence and fail to reply (and it was addressed to an senior individual!);

b) I may not wish to tie in one number as I may wish to use others from time to time; for it to be secure means it should be impossible to reset without a whote lot more security procedures involving proof of ID;

c) as they claim data relating to an agent appointed on my account was untraceable how can they say there was no security breach - similarly what's to stop someone else registering a phone number and HMRC claim that's equally untraceable? Anyone phishing could log-on and set any phone number they like.

d) How many mobile phones are lost or stolen each year? About 1/2million in UK seems to be a fair approximation. And where do many people keep user names and passwords? Yes, on their mobile phones. To prove the point, I complained to an financial organisation about their insistance on a 'fancy password', difficult to guess and similarly impossible to remember amongst all the oodles of other passwords in use. I pointed out that they were forcing people to write them down rather than simply memorising them. Their reply was to instruct me to save it on my mobile phone like everyone else does!

e) Why are there no statements of guarantees of security in respect of this two factor verification on the HMRC site - it's pretty obvious that they are using third party systems for this? I suppose their excuse will be because it's a BETA site, yes folks you are being asked to provide your phone numbers on a BETA site - that's one which is being tested using you as guinea pigs.

No so comforting, is it?

twhitehead

Thought this was finished with but HMRC have proved me wrong. There is now a VERIFY set of steps to go through. As I had had a faulty Notice of Coding I tried to change it and found you now have to verify yourself via some third party sites. The one I picked was Experian as they hold my credit details. It was a little complicated until the 'have you got a landline?' and we will phone you back with an automatic random set of letters. When I got the phone call to enter my password in I failed to hear correctly five times in all, getting locked 4 times. The voice says a letter (A) and another voice then says Alpha. Not really distinct but they are machines. After spending about an hour talking to VERY pleasant lady in Experian we came to the conclusion the password is SEVEN numbers or letters so if you only hear six you have missed a number (Which is not repeated). You only get two chances to hear the password, after that you get locked and have to phone the helpline. I have finished my business with HMRC for 2015/2016 and hope the BETA stage has been passed before I have to go through all this again.:mad:

twhitehead

I have had emails from Experian

Starts
We are really sorry to hear that you have had difficulties identifying the security letters.

We have passed on your comments to our development team.

We have suggested that we extended the number of times that the message can be heard.

We have also raised a request to determine how best to get you out of this cycle on the assumption that you want to continue using your Experian identity?

We have added in your suggestion regarding making it clear how long the code will be.

Finishes

By the time I need to use the service again things could be as I want them. i.e. usable.:rotfl:

Mandy_P_3

Having gone through creating the 2 step verification account it wanted a passport number to confirm my identity. I just thought I should let people know that it doesn't matter if you have a passport in date or not - just give them a passport number that is yours. Mine expired in 2009 but it accepted it. Completely illogical to me but it worked.