We have recently come across an issue with the HMRC online service and thought we should bring it to the attention of other STEP members.
The online services that HMRC provide has a facility which allows us as agent to see whether a tax return has been issued for a specific tax year for a client. Last Tuesday (2 August 2016) this facility got a ‘bug’ in its system and is showing all trust’s as having a tax return issued for the 2015/16 tax year which isn’t necessarily true.
I have spoken with HMRC and on all of the selection of clients they looked at, the online services facility were showing all 2015/16 returns as issued, HMRC confirmed this to be incorrect and returns for the 2015/16 tax are actually in fact not issued for the selection of clients looked at.
I have on their instructions spoken with their online services help team and have an open case with them (being I assume the 1st person to report the problem to them) but as yet the ‘bug’ has yet to be removed from the system. As I believe this ‘bug’ to be global and over a week has now passed with no positive outcome from them I thought I should see if others where aware of having these issues.
If advisors are solely reliant on the HMRC online services for whether a 2015/16 return is required then this information could be false and returns may be prepared and charges to clients incurred unnecessarily.
I encountered this problem on 9 August. However, I realised that although HMRC system showed tax returns as issued on 5 April, they did not have the “File on paper by” and “File online by” dates completed on their system, and upon checking by telephone HMRC confirmed that they had not actually issued tax returns.
Thank you for speaking with HMRC’s online services help team and hopefully it will be fixed in the next couple of weeks. Perhaps you can you update us once you receive a formal response.
I spoke to HMRC on Monday about a personal tax client where the online systems were showing a tax return issued on the 6th April 2016 but no filing dates were shown.
HMRC confirmed that no return was issued so it may not just be Trust clients that are affected.
As an update I received a telephone call from HMRC on Tuesday and they have informed me that they should have the issue fixed by the 27 September 2016.
Carlton, we hadn’t noticed the file by dates being missing so thanks for that, although I’m not certain I would like to assume they aren’t issued on that basis bearing in mind HMRC don’t know why is causing the bug so a phone call at the moment to confirm the position is probably best.
Nigel, when we discovered the problem on the 2 August 2016 I asked a colleague in our personal tax department to check this out and it appeared to be ok. However I have now asked them to check again following your post and you are correct this problem seems to have worked its way through to personal tax clients also. Not working in with personal tax clients I aren’t to familiar with their online services but it looks like in a client’s home screen under the 'File a return for 2015/16 box appears to be giving the correct answer even through when you click into the tax return options for the 2015/16 is stating a return as issued.
I will of course ring HMRC in due course to ensure they are aware of the bug now affecting personal tax clients also.
Further to this old thread, has anybody had a substantive update? I spoke with HMRC Trusts yesterday to check two trusts that were showing online as requiring 2015/2016 Returns but was advised that neither had been issued with a Notice To Complete. The HMRC member of staff was half aware that the ‘bug’ still existed but said that they were not being provided with any official update to pass on when they received any queries.
We are past the deadline that Hannah mentioned previously!
Obviously, it would be helpful if this could be resolved before the filing deadline really starts to loom…
A colleague spoke with HMRC (online services) yesterday on the matter and was told the case had been closed despite the error still occurring.
While on the phone HMRC acknowledged that there was still an issue with their system and we wait a call back from them. Once I have received an update fro them I will post again.