Form 64-8 advice

Can I use the same 64-8 to register as agent for both the company and its director

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I'm loosing the will to live with online authorisation and the general back and forth/code/time out etc that is the online authorisation. I'm looking into changing to using the 64-8 method of authorisation.

There does not appear to be much in the way of guidance and the phonelines have been as useful as a chocolate tea-pot on this.

So 64-8 covers both companies, partnerships and individuals etc. My question is

Can I get agent authorisation using the 64-8 method for a company, its VAT, its PAYE and the companies director's self assessment on one form. Is it one form per entity or is it one form per tax etc

Before I ask my clients to fill this out I would like to make sure I am not getting them to waste their effort

Replies (8)

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RLI
By lionofludesch
23rd Oct 2018 11:42

One form per entity.

But why are you wasting your time ringing HMRC ?

Much easier to get two forms signed than hang on the phone for 20 minutes, listening to crap music, only to get an answer that HMRC won't let you rely on.

Thanks (1)
JCACE
By jcace
23rd Oct 2018 11:53

Better still, complete the authorisation process online - should be much quicker.

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Replying to jcace:
RLI
By lionofludesch
23rd Oct 2018 12:09

jcace wrote:

Better still, complete the authorisation process online - should be much quicker.

He said in the OP that he's not finding it quite that simple.

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By Wanderer
23rd Oct 2018 12:03

As has already been said you can't mix the company & the directors.
Having said that even with the occasional timing out of online authorisation this is way, way more reliable that the 64-8 method.
As soon as you are into paper 64-8's you are relying on the human element within HMRC. Timescales & accuracy rates in my experience are much worse than relying on the human element within clients.

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Replying to Wanderer:
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By Kylo Ren
23rd Oct 2018 12:29

Thanks - that's quite helpful. I've never used the paper method. Maybe I'll just stick with the imperfect electronic method, with the occasional 64-8 for those clients who simply seem unable to send the code in on time (I guess they will be just as bad sending in a 64-8).
Is the general consensus that electronic is better than paper (I mean is should be...but this is HMRC we are dealing with so all bets are off)?

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Replying to Kylo Ren:
RLI
By lionofludesch
23rd Oct 2018 12:57

Horses for courses - do I trust the client to pass me the code as soon as it arrives ? If yes - electronic. If no - paper.

Neither is instant. You either rely on Royal Mail to deliver your 64-8 to HMRC, or rely on Royal Mail to deliver HMRC's authentication code to the client and then the client leaves it on his cornish until he has time to get it to you.

At a guess, I probably use 60:40 in favour of electronic.

Thanks (1)
By Duggimon
23rd Oct 2018 13:25

I tend to use online, unless the new client comes to me with something for which I need to contact HMRC directly. I find if you're sending correspondence to them anyway, the paper form gets entered much more quickly than when you send it to the Central Agents Authorisation Team.

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ALISK
By atleastisoundknowledgable...
23rd Oct 2018 22:50

We do everyone electronically (admittedly there are a handful of clients who have had the ‘code lost’ button hit more than once). I only ever do a paper 64-8 if I need to send a letter to HMRC and can’t see the client on my HMRC portal.

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