The problems with HMRC's SA online facility 'arose because of a rapid and unexpected rise in access to the online service over a short period of time' said Jane Kennedy in response to a recent written question.
When asked what steps had been taken to rectify the problems with the system Ms Kennedy said that 'in April 2008 IT updates for the SA online system will remove the dependency on the infrastructure that failed as part of a planned improvement to the system'.
In addition HMRC are reviewing their regime for performance testing of online services to improve the rigour around the testing of peak demands.
This explanation strikes Taxation as odd and unsatisfactory.
Brian Palmer chair of the Working Together e-services sub group says that the problem was not about 'volume per se' but rather about 'an unprecedented surge of use at the...
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