I wondered if others have started to prepare for their clients' payroll year-ends using HMRC's own software - Basic PAYE Tools 2012?
I used it successfully throughout last year but this year, on downloading the software update this month, I have been unable to retrieve from the back-up files the information from individual employees column 1b1 in which is recorded "Earnings above the ST, up to and including the PT".
Why is this important? Well it is this figure that I have diligently monitored each month and which triggers a small NIC liability at the year-end.
The updated software does not pick up this information, tells me there is an error (see next), does not tell me how to correct the error and will not let me complete the year-end routine. (Thinks - all that effort to keep things straight each month and at the eleventh hour HMRC's own software lets me down badly).
"The PTtoUAP (sic) must exceed zero for the specified NI category* as the total NIC's contributions value exceeds 0.32p"
(* this is where the NI letter is A, the gross annual salary is £7,200 pa (£600 pcm) and the resulting year-end liability is £17.66p).
It tells me I need to correct the error but I cannot see where in the interface the user can do this. Any suggestions please? (Sensible ones only please)
Best wishes
P2
Replies (10)
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How long ago did you download the basic pay tools. My understanding is that some bugs in them (in particular related to NI bandings) have recently been discovered and that there is an update. Whether or not those bugs are the same problem that you're saying, I can't say.
EDIT: In fact re-reading your query I'm pretty sure that this is the same bug in the HMRC tools I'm aware of. Employees who earn between the primary and secondary thresholds and hence are liable for employers NI but not employee's NI get picked up as an error. I've heard that this error has now been fixed.
In HMRC's defence, they weren't the only software supplier to be caught out by the introduction of the ST. But as they're the ones who make the rules you'd think that they'd get it right!
Had the same problem today.
Had the same problem today. HMRC are "aware of the anomaly". They hope to have it fixed by the ned of the month!!
Reports were optimistic
Ah, evidently the report I heard that this had already been fixed was optimistic.
I think you're probably safe...
If HMRC's own software has a bug in it that prevents you from filing then I'm guessing that would count as a reasonable excuse for late filing. But probably you'd rather not have the hassle of the appeal, I'm sure.
You could always use a free piece of commercial software (who knows you might like it so much that you pay for it) (Insert sunglasses emoticon here)
PAYE online filing error
Unfortunately I did not come across this site until after spending several hours trying to work out where I was going wrong when trying to submit my PAYE returns. The error also affects IRIS software and direct online filing - and is certainly still present today (1 April 2012).
If it affects Iris...
If the error affects Iris then you'll probably need a software update from them. It is very likely that they'll already be aware of it.