HMRC - can't submit my self assessment .......... not receiving access code on my mobile

GustyGardenGalaxy

Firstly I'll say that I have submitted an online request to HMRC's technical team via an online form, however as they can take 48 hours to reply I  thought I'd ask about this here ..... after all, this fiasco could go on for ages. It's the HMRC after all ..........

To explain:

Today I logged in to submit my self employed self assessment, etc. Logged in okay, received an access code on my designated mobile, etc. Then went through the usual tax questions, completed the details and hit SUBMIT - it then asks me to log back in again (as it has done for years when you hit SUBMIT) and it sends another access code to my mobile ...... BUT that access code is never received on my mobile.

So I asked for another code to be sent to the same mobile.

nothing arrives.

Tried again and again ......... nothing arrives.

Tried logging in using the first code from the earlier successful login before I completed my tax return - doesn't work (probably because by then I had requested another code).

Phoned the HMRC - they couldn't do anything.

So I submitted the aforementioned online request to get this sorted by their tech team.

One interesting thing - when the first code arrived for my first (successful) login my mobile didn't ring. That's a first for a text, never had it not ring before.

I also logged into my NatWest account (who also send a code to the same mobile for a login) and that worked perfectly within seconds. I actually did this while on the phone to HMRC. So my mobile is fine, my phone number is fine.

The person I was speaking to at HMRC confirmed that she could see that I had been trying to login.

It stands to reason that the fault with no access code being received is with HMRC's system, however could the fault be with my mobile phone provider blocking the texts for some insane reason? I'm with 1pmobile (who use EE's network).

Has anyone experienced this issue before and how was it resolved?

sheramber

Not with HMRC but I did with  my bank. 

Three access codes arrived at the same time several hours later. 

400ixl

I don't use the SMS 2FA as it is not secure. I have installed the HMRC app where I can generate the 2FA code from.

May be an option, but will probably want you to generate a code for the first login, but may be worth a try and certainly once you can get a code using that in the future instead.

GustyGardenGalaxy

JamesRobinson48 said:

Are you using a modern smartphone, or some more rudimentary mobile phone?  One of my mobile phones is extremely old, and sometimes it receives codes from certain senders only after a long delay (i.e. useless) or not at all.

Yeah, it's a fairly rudimentary phone, but it's always been used for HMRC's code's before (and codes from my bank, etc) and has never had a problem before this afternoon.

GustyGardenGalaxy

400ixl said:

I don't use the SMS 2FA as it is not secure. I have installed the HMRC app where I can generate the 2FA code from.

May be an option, but will probably want you to generate a code for the first login, but may be worth a try and certainly once you can get a code using that in the future instead.

Thanks - I guess though if I installed the app on my other phone (a smartphone (the one not receiving the code is more basic but works well)) then I would still need to login using a code that would, first time, be received on the phone that isn't receiving the code right now? In other words I won't be able to use the app until the non-received code issue is resolved?

glennevis

My first action would be power off and on (reboot) the old phone.

If that didn't help, can you take the SIM out of the basic phone and put it in the smartphone?
If they are different sizes, maybe the SIM can be popped out of the centre (microSIM) so it matches the size required for the newer smartphone. Have some sticky tape ready to apply to the reverse of the SIM and reassemble it before reinstalling in the old phone after job done.

If that worked then during the login tick the box to 'remember me' for 7 days. That way at least you might only have to repeat the exercise once a week.

GustyGardenGalaxy

Thanks for the suggestions - I tried powering the old phone off and on but no difference.

Afraid that I can't transfer the SIM from the old phone to the new as it's of the larger type where the centre can't be popped out to make a small SIM.

Also just logged into my NatWest account as they send a code to the same old phone on login - that works perfectly.

This must be an HMRC issue.

C4rlos12345678

glennevis said:

My first action would be power off and on (reboot) the old phone.

If that didn't help, can you take the SIM out of the basic phone and put it in the smartphone?
If they are different sizes, maybe the SIM can be popped out of the centre (microSIM) so it matches the size required for the newer smartphone. Have some sticky tape ready to apply to the reverse of the SIM and reassemble it before reinstalling in the old phone after job done.

If that worked then during the login tick the box to 'remember me' for 7 days. That way at least you might only have to repeat the exercise once a week.

+1
I always tick the remember me box for easy access a whole week

AlonzoQ

I've been having the same issues for over a week and still no resolution.  OIf course their online 'help' is no help and the phone line kept me holding for 45mins before I gave up on it.  Still not sure how to proceed.

sheramber

AlonzoQ said:

I've been having the same issues for over a week and still no resolution.  OIf course their online 'help' is no help and the phone line kept me holding for 45mins before I gave up on it.  Still not sure how to proceed.

The best time to phone is as soon as lines open to be at the front of the queue. 

Start dialling just before time. 

Some people have reported getting  their call answered before time , as sometimes some people start work earlier. 

agiaga

This must be HMRC issue!
I'm using fairly new smartphone, have access to several HMRC accounts (employment, self-employment, charity etc), never had any issue with messages until just over a week ago. I'm using the same phone on the same network as previously but now text messages are not arriving.
Has it been resolved for anybody?