I've just had a chat with an online helpdesk person and as an aside she told me that HMRC dont recommend using Basic Tools for more than 2 paye schemes. I've never heard of this.
out of interest - if you use Basic Tools - how many schemes do you use it for?
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Well, it looks as though it is getting fewer month by month - in June last year it appears to have been 15 or 16!
https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/any-answers/basic-paye-tools-how-many-sc...
Agent Update 54 – 29 June 2016 – Page 13
" Using Basic PAYE Tools (BPT)
It has been reported that the 2016-17 version of BPT does not work for agents who are using it for more than four employers.
HMRC generally advise agents against using BPT on the basis that it not really suitable for commercial use.
Page 3 of the BPT guidance states this tool may not be suitable for agents or bookkeepers running several payrolls as data cannot be copied for any one payroll on the tool and this may cause conflict protecting data and ultimately complying with the Data Protection Act. "
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Despite the above I have used Basic Tools for EYU / resolve client payroll disasters / problems and had upto 17 employers per dataset and not experienced problems, but in the vast majority of cases one-off use (not regular use).
Apart from corrections to earlier years, I'm not at all sure why anyone in practice would want to use the Basic Tools software.
These days, I'd have thought it was essential, for even basic kit, to produce payslips. Once again, HMRC are left wanting when it comes to half decent IT capabilities.
This once great empire?
The most recent time that I used Basic Tools it was to do with a mid-tax-year-cessation. Sage told the client that they had to use Basic Tools to report the mid-year cessation to HMRC, so I had to set client up in Basic Tools and do that.
Sage is not the only payroll software lacking one-off necessity features - for example Moneysoft lacks EYU, and I am told that Pegasus Opera lacks EYU capability as well.
So until clients stop using feature-short payroll software such as Moneysoft, Pegasus and Moneysoft then Basic Tools shall essentially still need to still exist.
Yes, I'm in complete agreement. One has to query why these (generally efficient) software houses can't include the EYU feature? If, as suggested here, Basic Tools is withdrawn, the feature will have to be included, somehow, in commercial software.
Of course, MTD will resolve all these occasions.
And then, I'll be able to release all of my pink homing pigs.
As I have written before. I have heard on the good old grapevine that HMRC are going to withdraw Basic Tools.
They never got involved with supporting AE & like Chris.Mann says why would anyone wish to struggle with what is without a doubt "Basic" - aptly named -when even a straighforward inexpensive payroll package virtually does the job for you
I’m of the opinion that EYU’s should be a standard feature in all payroll software. It’s not acceptable to pass the book and suggest you use other software given the fact that Sage and Pegasus are quite expensive. I use Brightpay and it handles EYUs.
NYB - I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Basic tools is withdrawn. With MTD coming I’m not convinced HMRC can continue to support such a basic product.
I'm in complete agreement with Chris.Mann, how can any practice worth it's salt be using Basic tools for clients. Leaving aside the fact that it doesn't cater for EYUs or Auto enrolment, it also doesn't produce a payslip. Good grief! It's simply not fit for purpose.
I use BrightPay which does the lot and it's cheap as chips.
Leaving aside the fact that it doesn't cater for EYUs ...
Eh? The only reason I have ever used BPT is that it does submit EYUs.
You are of course correct Euan. Not sure how I managed to get my wording so muddled. One of those days I'm afraid. I think it's time to go home.
IMO Basic PAYE tools was never meant to be used for more than one PAYE scheme. There are so many reasonably priced alternatives on the market that I can't understand why any practice offering a payroll service would use it for their clients. The sensible choice is Brightpay for all the reasons already mentioned or Moneysoft if you don't mind using Basic tools for EYUs.