HMRC plans minor upgrade work this weekend

HMRC’s controversial website upgrade work at the beginning of April was more complex than anticipated, leading to an extra weekend’s work on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 May.

With the 19 May deadline for PAYE end of year forms just over a week away, companies and advisers will be able to submit P14s and P35s online. Taxpayers will not be able to register for VAT Online during this period, but other frequently used online services such as Self Assessment, Corporation Tax and CIS will be unaffected.

The upgrade will focus on some of HMRC’s more obscure services as follows:

• Alcohol & Tobacco Warehousing - out of action between for submitting online declarations between 16:00 on Saturday 12 May and 01:00 on Sunday 13 May. Those using commercial software will also not be able to submit returns during this period. 
• Duty Deferment Electronic Statements (DDES) - unavailable for 10mins sometime between 16:00 on Saturday and 01:00 on Sunday.
• Duty Stamps - applications to obtain these will not be possible online between 16:00 and 01:00 on Sunday.
• EC Sales List Online service out of action between 16:00 on Saturday and 01:00 on Sunday. Those using commercial software can continue to submit online, but will experience delays in receiving acknowledgements. There will also be a 10-minute period when third party software users won’t be able to access the service - do try to resubmit if this happens.
• Electronic Binding Tariff Information - out of action for 10mins sometime between 16:00 on Saturday and 1:00 on Sunday.
• Intrastat (IS2) - out of action for 10mins sometime between 16:00 on Saturday and 1:00 on Sunday.
• National Export System (NES) Web - out of action for 10mins sometime between 16:00 on Saturday and 1:00 on Sunday. Those using the system’s XML schema will also encounter a 10min gap in service. Online acknowledgements will be sent once the service is restored - do not attempt to resubmit if you experience a delay.
• New Computerised Transit System Web - those using this web mechanism and its XML-based service will be unable to access it between 16:00 on Saturday and 01:00 on Sunday, but can use the paper fallback procedures set out in Customs Information Paper (09)28
• Rebated Oils Enquiry Service and Tied Oils Enquiry Service  - out of action for 10mins sometime between 16:00 on Saturday and 1:00 on Sunday.
• Reverse Charge Sales List (RCSL) - offline between 16:00 on Saturday 12 May and 01:00 on Sunday 13 May, with further upgrade work scheduled between 20:00 and 23:00 on Wednesday 16 May.
• VAT Online - The registration mechanism will be out of action, but you can still continue to submit returns between 16:00 on Saturday and 01:00 on Sunday. Those wanting to enrol for VAT Online during this period can do so via the Government Gateway. The VAT on eServices (VOES) page will also be out of action for 10mins during the scheduled upgrade period.

HMRC said it always tries to give as much warning as possible of off-line maintenance work and to schedule it to minimise inconvenience.