WRITTEN ON January 27th, 2007 BY Richard S AND STORED IN Uncategorized
My annual scramble with the personal tax form is over – at least for a few months. Even at this late frantic stage, (at least during the day) the HMRC’s online systems seemed quick and stable. However, the tax form seemed to have yet more boxes…
My tax affairs are fairly simple: Everything is taxed at source: Each year HMRC owes me a small refund: The main problem is finding all my papers.
As usual, I checked my online passwords some time ago – in case something had changed and I needed to have new passwords posted out – but last year’s worked OK.
Although everything is taxed at source, the requirement that everything be declared means several days of chaos while floors are strewn with papers about small savings accounts.
[b]WIBBI:[/b] If everything is taxed at source and I’m not near any tax rate thresholds: Why the need to file the Tax Return? Surely a signed statement should be enough?
Too late I discovered that the carefully filed tax certificates sent by one institution were actually nine copies of the same certificate rather than the different certificates for each small account. Online records for that institution also don’t go back far enough to supply the figures.
[b]WIBBI:[/b] Please could Building Societies close their “marketing” departments and stop their continual churning of savings accounts? It’s hard to keep up with the rapidly changing names: If it costs me time, it must be costing them (my) money!
At last, with lots of paper, some time logged into Internet accounts, and a few expensive 0845 phone calls, all was ready.
The other night, the HMRC site was broken, but this morning and afternoon it was running well. Apart from a minor glitch, it accepted my data and calculated the result. I downloaded the form for checking.
This year, there seem to be yet more boxes on the form: Presumably Gordon Brown has introduced yet more complexity into the tax system.
[b]WIBBI:[/b] Please could the next government simplify the tax system: Why so many different income types, tax rates, allowances, exceptions, etc., etc., …?
Later, I logged back on, “submitted” the completed form; then downloaded the official receipt and final copy. The two emailed acknowledgements arrived promptly.
(Always assuming that HMRC approves my efforts!) The HMRC’s “Online Forms,” their “Submission” and “Acknowledgement” services all seemed to work well – even so close to the deadline. I do hope that they cope with the final surge over the next few days.
However, when I tried to print my form, the HMRC and Firefox made a joint attack on my trusty old printer, making it batter against its end stops; necessitating a complete “factory reset” and a retry using Opera.
This year, my experience with the HMRC’s online service must rate at least 8 out of 10.
Now I’m only left with Companies House, Corporation Tax and PAYE/NI to complete online over the next few weeks.
2 Responses to “HMRC Personal SA Online 2006: A Good 8 out of 10?”
I’ve been using the online service ever since it started – initially, the IR used to send out floppy disks containing off-line software: We then had the fun of trying to upload the results, via a buggy, undocumented process. Some years, even typing a comment into the comment field on the form would wreck the process!
The system has changed several times: Each year, I worry about whether the HMRC has changed the log-in details, and whether I have lost them.
In future, if you do use these services, note:
- log-in details contain both “0s” and “Os”; as well as “1s” and “Is”; “2s” and “Zs”; “5s” and “Ss”. These are very easy to misread! To my protests, the HMRC has replied that they have to use the complete alphabet.
- There’s no warning or indication, but after three failed attempts, you’re locked out. Nothing tells you this! Sometimes, the system relents and allows you back in after several hours. Again, nothing tells you when you can safely try again!
Finally, although I would be very angry if my Tax affairs appeared “on the front page of the Sun” – or even more if they appeared in my local paper; I’m not convinced by the HMRC’s tight security:
Registering with the HMRC is more difficult and much slower than registering for online banking:
Does Terri’s experience show that the HMRC has got the balance right?
I’m afraid I fell at the last fence. I couldn’t register to submit online until I got my (lost) Unique Taxpayer Reference, which had to be sent by post. Feeling pretty proud of myself for having actually got my UTR well in advance, I got round to registering yesterday (yep, 11th hour) only to discover that I needed a PIN as well… which takes up to 7 days by post.
I’ve ended up having to print the form out, fill it in with good ol’ black biro and will send by carrier-pigeon tomorrow. Still, the people on the helplines are incredibly patient and friendly – I phoned them so often yesterday that HMRC will probably qualify as a friends & family number!