Anyone had HMRC refusing to act on EPS database glitch?

Anyone had HMRC refusing to act on EPS database...

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I submit payroll for 35 employers who claim Employment Allowance.  I have an ongoing battle with HMRC over one of them.  Periods 1 to 4 went through no problems, then in Period 5 the system stopped recognising Employment Allowance, which has reached 1,974 to date so well within the 2,000.

Debt Management started chasing this.  I wrote on 27 November enclosing the P32 and saying:

1.  The glitch is clearly at HMRC's end as I can evidence successful submission to the HMRC database, and I've followed the sam process in these months which I have followed on every client successfully, and on this client from periods 1 to 4.

Now DMB have replied to "pass the buck" and say everything is fine at our end, refusing to answer the request in my letter to manually adjust the system as per the P32 I enclosed.

This is with the AAM team now.  I just wanted other people who get this sort of glitch and buck passing to know you are not alone.

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By BigBadWolf
23rd Dec 2014 13:16

Yes

I had this issue with one client,

They suggested I re-submit an EPS claiming the Employment allowance - which I did - and debt collection have not bothered us since. However I am still not convinced the bug has been fixed or the employer's record put right - I have a funny feeling it will rear its head again.

 

Every time we have an issue with RTI - HMRC claim that their system is infallible, despite knowing that the bugs exist! Its getting cumbersome now

 

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Chris M
By mr. mischief
24th Dec 2014 06:28

It is worrying!

It has now become clear what happened in May.  The first time I submitted month 1 EPS it failed, I normally do these first thing in the morning when I believe the database is more reliable.  This one was at 10am, re-submitted at 1001 and the re-submission successfully got a date and time stamp from HMRC.  I have sent HMRC the evidence for this four times now in letter and by PDF attachment to e-mails.

Despite this, both the HMRC software folk and the AAM person are putting the onus on me to rectify the problem.  They want me to re-submit the month 1 EPS, I can't find the command in Able Internet software to do this.  The HMRC "solution" is for me to download HMRC basic tools and then do other stuff, no way do I want HMRC software anywhere near my system because it is rubbish.

I am confident I am on rock solid ground if I have to go the distance with this one.  I've tried a few things in Able Internet software and I think this might have achieved a re-submission.

I have also made the following point to HMRC:

"The real source of my frustration here is this:

In numerous cases HMRC deem the software not to be enough and insist on paperwork galore.  Two examples:

·         Having to claim CIS refunds for limited companies with loads of paperwork despite filing electronically every month.

·         The Regional NI holiday reclaim was an astonishing paper chase, to the extent that even for £2k it was questionable if it was worth it.

Here we have a situation where I am providing all the paper evidence anyone could wish for, but it is being deemed not good enough.

Where is the consistency?  In the last 2 agent surveys I scored HMRC 2 out of 10, and explained to the survey people why this was.  It’s this sort of thing."

Thanks (1)
Chris M
By mr. mischief
17th Feb 2015 12:22

Another one!

One of my most reliable clients has just had a Debt Management letter dated 16 Feburary 15 which:

1.  Excludes the payment made to the correct PAYE reference on 19 Jan 15, and

2.  Excludes Employment Allowance from period 7 onwards.

As with the other client, periods 1 to 6 had all gone through no problem.  I have now asked 3 separate HMRC people the following question:

"How can it be up to the client to do something in their software if you accept that the EA box was ticked in periods 1 through 6 but now suddenly say it is not ticked in period 7?"

On the other client it was period 5, they are still getting Debt Management letters 2 months further down the line.  As with that client, I have raised this with the AAM team who in the previous case were unable to answer that question above but have failed to call off the dogs.

What a mess!

 

Thanks (1)