SA302 requests

SA302 requests

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Readers will be aware that for some time it has been possible to print SA302 forms direct from the HMRC website, provided that the relevant tax return had been filed using HMRC web interface rather than 3rd party.

Per telecom with HMRC they will shortly be withdrawing the facility to request an SA302 in support of mortgage applications, meaning that taxpayers and agents will thereafter have to produce the evidence themselves. All fine and dandy for those who filed with the HMRC web software. Not so fine and dandy for those using 3rd party software or who have to file by paper because they are spies or MPs or whatever. In response, our software provider (Sage) has for 2014-15 and subsequent years formatted their personal tax calculation summaries as headed with SA302 in the title, although there is no HMRC letterhead branding on the document.

There are several ongoing problems with this, quite apart from the unrepresented spy who files by paper and needs a mortgage.

One is that mortgage providers will generally require the calculations for about 3 years. For as long as years prior to 2014-15 are to be included, Sage (at least) are not filling the gap, when HMRC turns off the tap.

Another is that not all mortgage providers will accept anything short of a branded HMRC document on their letterhead.

A third is that there is (and can be) no proof that the document produced by the third party software corresponds with what has been submitted to HMRC (indeed it can be generated prior to any submission or finalising of the return). This is a lesser concern in my view, as the entire process is a joke anyway.

I guess that there will be a few moving goal posts before this eventually settles down. Anyone else got any experiences to report on this front? Was there any consultation prior to HMRC deciding to withdraw this facility?

Of course, the whole fracas could be avoided if HMRC were simply to enable the automated production of SA302 from their website based on 3rd party return submissions.

With kind regards

Clint Westwood.

Replies (11)

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By andy.partridge
29th Apr 2015 11:47

Agree, Clint

In part this farce has been created (for represented taxpayers) by lenders abandoning accountant certificates. How did our stock fall so low that even the principal architects of the global financial crash don't trust us?

That aside I am all for a system which means that agents or taxpayers do not have to hang on the phone for half an hour in the hope that a call might be picked up. The ability for 3rd party software to print an SA302 which reconciles to information held by HMRC, and has an HMRC mark that is uniformly acceptable to lenders is surely the way to go.

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By sholman
29th Apr 2015 11:59

But you can do your own documents if you follow the instructions on HMRC website and the procedure is acceptable to lenders

Important information

Printing your Self Assessment documents

Follow these steps to print a tax calculation

Choose the relevant client.Follow the link 'tax return options'.Choose the year from the drop down menu and select the 'Go' button.Follow the link 'view calculation'.Follow the link 'view and print your calculation'.Follow the link 'print your full calculation' - you can currently view and print up to 2 years but this will increase to 3 years from April 2015 and 4 years from April 2016.

Note: If you used commercial software to submit your return, you must use that software to print your tax calculation.

Follow these steps to print a tax year overview

Choose the relevant client.Follow the link 'view account'.Follow the link 'tax years'.Choose the year from the drop down menu and select the 'Go' button.Follow the link 'print your Tax Year Overview'.

Note: You must wait 72 hours after fully submitting your return until you can print your documents.

 

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By Cathy R
29th Apr 2015 12:03

CCH are advising that the SA302 produced by their software should be accompanied by a printout of the client's Tax Year Overview, taken from the HMRC online account.  I have very recently provided a client with these for the last three years, whether or not they will be accepted I have yet to hear.

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By MJShone
29th Apr 2015 12:19

Good luck Cathy

We've tried that on the basis that if our calculation shows the same as the print out from the Revenue website, surely it's as agood as a Revenue-produced SA302. However, the problem we encountered was that the lender didn't really understand what they were asking for and seemed to be working from a tick list. Agent print out from software + print out from HMRC website = does not compute.

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By Mallock
29th Apr 2015 12:04

Likely to lead to more hassle

I don't see this being a priority for 3rd party accounting/tax software producers and obviously HMRC don't care what havoc it reaps. I can only see this leading to more hassle for us in providing lenders with information which is reviewed by those that don't have a clue what they are looking at.

Why accountants can't get a copy of an SA302 from HMRC's website (in the same way we can't see PAYE payments etc) is beyond me and it would save everyone lots of time and trouble if we could see the same as someone who logs in directly to HMRC's portal. 

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By Monsoon
29th Apr 2015 12:48

They're doing what now?!

 

Thanks, HMRC. That's helpful. Really helpful. Gold star to whoever came up with that idea.

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By GW
29th Apr 2015 12:52

Dealt with application yesterday

The Woolwich asked for tax calculations from our system and copies of the "tax year overview" from HMRC, they even emailed us instructions how to register online with HMRC and how to print the report!

Haven't had and feedback yet and as the overview simply showed no tax due (as all covered by PAYE and tax credit on dividend) I don't know how much it helped them.

If other lenders go down the same route this should not be a problem unless someone else filed the earlier returns.

Given the ability to file a return, obtain an SA302 from HMRC then file amended returns the whole thing always was a mess driven by the desire to put ticks in boxes.

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By Anne Robinson
29th Apr 2015 16:45

I've never really understood what good the Tax Year Overview print out was since all it shows is the tax payable.
Yes a SA302 end figure and the tax payable may agree but what does that prove about income.

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By Cloudcounter
29th Apr 2015 16:53

One failure already

I printed the Tax Year Summary for three years and the SA302 tax calculations from our software, following release of information via the ICAEW.

Of course the local Halifax office hadn't been told about this and would have none of it, so we had to phone HMRC anyway

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By mikewhit
08th May 2017 15:22

To be pedantic, you cannot print an "SA302" from the HMRC website as such - just the figures that go to make it up !

Now if they generated a PDF with HMRC livery and "SA302" in big text at the top, that might go some way to pacifying those lenders that insist on a "Real SA302" ...

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By mikewhit
08th May 2017 15:26

I guess some enterprising person (I am considering it ...) could in principle write a screen-scraping application that would take the figures from the HMRC page, and drop them into an SA302 form template ...

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