Agent Update 42

30 June 2014

Issue: 4458 / Categories: For Action , Agent Update , Admin

Latest adviser news in summary

Agent Update 42, the latest issue of HMRC’s bi-monthly roundup of news for tax advisers, is now available. It features 18 issues being pursued by the Working Together team and several matters that have been closed. Main points are:

DMB helpline: a dedicated line has opened for enforcement and compliance, debt management and banking (DMB) agents: 0300 200 3887. It gives a priority service intended for the sole use of agents with queries about debt management and banking queries on payments. An agent authorisation must be in place for information to be given.
R40 process: the update refers to an article in the March 2014 joint initiative on HMRC service delivery update that stated, “A pilot scheme was introduced to trial filing R40 (claim for repayment of tax deducted from savings and investments) returns online. Agents’ software products provide the option of sending clients’ income information as an online SA tax return so we have speeded up the process by enabling agents to claim repayments by the same method. Customers have also been encouraged to complete form R85 and register for gross interest to avoid making an annual claim”. It has been agreed that the project is closed.
Clients details on BACS repayments: the issue has been overtaken by events and will be considered within the digital strategy agenda. Until the functionality is introduced, agents should ring the agent dedicated line to confirm to which client the repayment relates.
VAT registration delays: HMRC say they are consistently meeting the processing times of 15 days, and on this basis this issue has been closed.
Joint initiative on HMRC service delivery: the joint initiative on HMRC service delivery group (JISD) has been disbanded. The Revenue explains that, after informal consultation, it was agreed that the group had diverged from its original purpose of stocktaking in between joint initiative steering group meetings (JISG). The informal agents/taxman virtual communications group, which has monthly telekit meetings, offers an avenue for discussion of issues and initiatives that would benefit from a joint approach to communications and the issues overview group will provide the opportunity to check progress on current issues and raise or escalate any new issues as appropriate. More information about the issues overview group can be found on HMRC’s website.

Issue: 4458 / Categories: For Action , Agent Update , Admin

Agent Update 42

30 June 2014

Latest adviser news in summary

DMB helpline: a dedicated line has opened for enforcement and compliance, debt management and banking (DMB) agents: 0300 200 3887. It gives a priority service intended for the sole use of agents with queries about debt management and banking queries on payments. An agent authorisation must be in place for information to be given.
R40 process: the update refers to an article in the March 2014 joint initiative on HMRC service delivery update that stated, “A pilot scheme was introduced to trial filing R40 (claim for repayment of tax deducted from savings and investments) returns online. Agents’ software products provide the option of sending clients’ income information as an online SA tax return so we have speeded up the process by enabling agents to claim repayments by the same method. Customers have also been encouraged to complete form R85 and register for gross interest to avoid making an annual claim”. It has been agreed that the project is closed.
Clients details on BACS repayments: the issue has been overtaken by events and will be considered within the digital strategy agenda. Until the functionality is introduced, agents should ring the agent dedicated line to confirm to which client the repayment relates.
VAT registration delays: HMRC say they are consistently meeting the processing times of 15 days, and on this basis this issue has been closed.
Joint initiative on HMRC service delivery: the joint initiative on HMRC service delivery group (JISD) has been disbanded. The Revenue explains that, after informal consultation, it was agreed that the group had diverged from its original purpose of stocktaking in between joint initiative steering group meetings (JISG). The informal agents/taxman virtual communications group, which has monthly telekit meetings, offers an avenue for discussion of issues and initiatives that would benefit from a joint approach to communications and the issues overview group will provide the opportunity to check progress on current issues and raise or escalate any new issues as appropriate. More information about the issues overview group can be found on HMRC’s website.