Agent accounts may be suspended without notice

HMRC may suspend an agent account without notice if it believes that it has been compromised. In Agent Update 129 HMRC says agent online service accounts (AOSAs) and agent services accounts (ASAs) are often a target for fraudsters due to the access they can provide to clients’ tax records. HMRC monitors transactions on these accounts for suspicious activity and will act quickly – in some cases suspending an account without notice – where it believes an account has been targeted.

If an account has been suspended HMRC says the agent should call the online services helpdesk on 0300 200 3600. HMRC will ‘try’ to call back within 72 hours to walk the agent through a password reset across all gateways and all third-party filing software.

HMRC warns that it may not always be possible to operate within these timescales but it...