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18 October 2011
80% of PAYE return errors relate to name, DOB or NICs
HMRC have told businesses to get their PAYE paperwork in better order, after more than 500 returns incorrectly claimed to employ ‘A N Other’ in 2009/10.
Every year, employers submit PAYE data that give details of employees’ tax and National Insurance contributions. Lack of accuracy can cause problems for the worker. For example, incorrect amounts are deducted from pay.
Around 80% of errors in employee details for 2009/10 related to name, date of birth or National Insurance number. As well as 507 A N Others, returns revealed the following incorrect information:
- 128 staff entered as Mr, Ms or Mrs Dummy.
- 572 people whose surnames included only the letter X, ranging from Mr X to Mrs XXXXXX.
- 75 staff with the surname ‘casual’, 11 ‘cleaners’, nine ‘workers’, and six 'students’.
- 824 employees with the surname ‘Unknown’.
- 40 people were apparently 200 years old or more.
HMRC runs an online guide to submitting correct employer data; firms can recover a National Insurance number by using NINO trace.
