SA302's - What's the deal?

SA302's - What's the deal?

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Hi All

What is your understanding of obtaining SA302's from HMRC please?

Phoned up the agent helpline, and the lady said lenders now will accept the tax calculation performed by our software.

My work colleague spoke to HMRC yesterday on behalf of another client, and HMRC are sending the SA302 by post.

I understand we can obtain an HMRC tax calculation online, but where do you find it?

The financial advisers we act for are still of the opinion they require hard copy SA302's. Any other substitute holds up the process.

Comments gratefully appreciated

Regards

Replies (15)

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By claudialowe
06th Oct 2015 10:41

What I was told.....

by HMRC when I phoned for one a couple of weeks ago, is that HMRC have told lenders to accept them.  The problem seems to be that lenders are not doing what they are told!  The person I spoke wanted to know the name of the lender, so that they could contact them direct..... I genuinely didn't know, so couldn't dob :-)

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By Howard Marks
06th Oct 2015 10:48

The story

The Council of Mortgage Lenders agreed with HMRC some months back that all lenders should now accept copies of SA302's produced by third party software.  Unfortunately, although the staff at HMRC know this, the lenders themselves are yet to play ball properly (some will, some won't).

 

I've done my best to make my point known to all lenders/brokers but at the end of the day it would be wrong to risk the state of a mortgage application to prove a point.  I therefore request the SA302 in the normal manner and tell HMRC the lender isn't playing nice if they ask.

 

Additionally, the lenders now seem to want a copy of the tax overview screen to support the SA302 - this can be obtained via your agent gateway by logging it the client's SA record.

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Replying to lionofludesch:
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By Maslins
07th Oct 2015 15:48

Makes sense

Howard Marks wrote:

Additionally, the lenders now seem to want a copy of the tax overview screen to support the SA302 - this can be obtained via your agent gateway by logging it the client's SA record.

The tax overview page shows very little, just the total tax liability.  Imagine this is just to check that any internally produced SA302 does actually relate to a return that's been submitted to HMRC.  Obviously doesn't prevent someone submitting a return showing massive income, saving the docs, then submitting a revised one...but presumably everyone's realised it'd be pretty daft for a client/accountant to do this as surely it raise big red flags to HMRC.

Progress is being made...slowly but surely towards common sense IMHO.

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Jennifer Adams
By Jennifer Adams
06th Oct 2015 18:49

Dont have to get from HMCR anymore...

If you have to go to them - dont get sent by post - takes an age.. Get them to fax - they will do it but there is no need to...

Here is the announcement - it says that HMRC have discussed will the banks and mortgage providers listed and they have all agreed to accept 3rd party software from agents. Send via

HMRC Business Help and Support Emails


 

Documents to support loan and mortgage applications- Update  

In our last communication we told you about the work we have been doing with theCouncil of Mortgage Lenders to improve our online documents. In particular how we have improved the Tax Calculation (SA302) and Tax Year Overview so that Lenders can consider accepting them as evidence of income returned to HMRC for loan or mortgage purposes.

For guidance on this please see pages 11 & 12 of Agent Update 48

We also told you that the new process is still embedding with Lenders. Below is a list of lenders that have told HMRC they are now operating the new process (this list is provided on 3 September 2015):

 

Aldermore                              Bank of Ireland                                  Bank of Scotland

Barclays                                 Birmingham Midshires                           Britannia

Cheltenham & Gloucester      Cheshire Mortgage Corporation       Co-operative Bank

Coventry Building Society      Danske Bank                                  Ecology Building Society

GE Money Home Lending    Godiva Mortgages Ltd                Holmesdale Building Society

Halifax                                  Kensington Mortgages                          Lloyds Bank

Mortgages PLC                    National Westminster Bank          Nationwide Building Society

Nottingham Building Society           Platform                                      Post Office Ltd

Precise Mortgages               Royal Bank Of Scotland                  Saffron Building Society

Santander                            Scottish Building Society                      Scottish Widows

TSB                                           Wave Lending                                     Woolwich

                               

Please note: this list is not a statement of a lender’s lending policy. You should always refer to the lender for confirmation of its lending policy at the time. HMRC emphasises you should always check which documents the lender requires before advising their clients or obtaining the necessary documentation your client’s behalf.

The new processIf the lender asks for copies of online documents, you (your client) will be able to print them from the online account without having to contact us. To access and print the Tax Calculation (SA302) and Tax Year Overview, you (your client) need to be registered for HMRC Online services. If you send tax returns usingHMRC software, you can print both documents from HMRC Online Services. If you send using Commercial software, you can print the Tax Year Overview from HMRC Online Services, but you need to use your own software to print the Tax Calculation. 

Kind Regards

 

 

Toni Clark

Head of Digital Agent Engagement

 

 

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By Howard Marks
06th Oct 2015 19:16

@JAADAMS
Yes but as above the utopia doesn't exist yet.

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By Discountants
07th Oct 2015 14:19

It's taking a while to filter down to the front line

We had a client who needed a mortgage so we supplied 3 years of our SA302's together with pdf's of HMRC's tax year overview to the mortgage broker.

Mortgage broker came back saying Halifax would not accept these can we have original SA302s

So we request these from HMRC (who went so far as to ask the name of the lender as they were not expecting to send them out anymore) and 10 days later they arrive at our offices, we scan them and email them to the broker.

Two weeks later we get another email from the broker saying he needed something called a tax year overview.

We pointed out this was in the very first email we provided, which the broker then admitted he had deleted.

... sigh

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By Mr_awol
07th Oct 2015 15:42

Brokers

Its the brokers who are cocking it all up.  They don't know what theyre talking about so make out the lenders want 'proper' SA302s - rather than admit to not knowing the new system.

 

HMRC re still fairly happy to send the though

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By Marion Hayes
07th Oct 2015 16:33

One good side effect

Having gone through all the stages, starting with my software prints, to SA302's, the lender then decided they would revert to an Accountants Certificate.

Not that I can complete them but better to arrange

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By sengaprior
20th Oct 2015 14:27

Need educated

This is the link to Halifax's own internal guidance. It clearly state that Account software SA302s should be accepted providing there is also a Tax Year Overview. Might be worth sending with the SA302s!

I had a lender the other day who insisted on the original SA302s and HMRC covering letter and not HMRC faxed copies.

Not sure how we educate them on this.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCUQFjABahUKEwjivabykdHIAhUDbRQKHaduBkI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.halifax-intermediaries.co.uk%2Fpdf%2Fself_employed_income_guidance_notes.pdf&usg=AFQjCNEnPUYz2kmP31NJjLyYzEEPe0hREA

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By ShirleyM
20th Oct 2015 14:44

I've had no problems (touch wood)

We've sent the HMRC tax overview with our SA302's and also sent a copy of the guidance from HMRC. All have been accepted but I don't get many requests, so it may be down to luck.

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Replying to Mr_awol:
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By Maslins
21st Oct 2015 14:37

Should be sufficient but...

ShirleyM wrote:

We've sent the HMRC tax overview with our SA302's and also sent a copy of the guidance from HMRC. All have been accepted but I don't get many requests, so it may be down to luck.

From what I understand that should be sufficient...but some lenders refusing to accept it, still insisting on SA302s on headed HMRC paper. Had one like that yesterday :(

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By Anne Robinson
20th Oct 2015 14:53

Just yesterday
Client's bank (not one listed above) asked for 2 years SA302's
Managed to get through immediately on agents line - wasn't asked which lender and was told would be posted directly to client immediately.

All well and good if the client receives it and if the lender accepts it without yet more information. I live in hope.

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By birdman
21st Oct 2015 14:57

Problem with faxed SA302s?

A new client had faxed SA302s already, but they had the UTR blocked out so lender wouldn't accept them. I rang HMRC who said ALL faxed SA302s have UTR removed for privacy reasons! Some days I just want to hold up my hands and surrender....

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Replying to New To Accountancy:
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By Mr_awol
22nd Oct 2015 14:54

They always redact UTR on faxes

birdman wrote:

A new client had faxed SA302s already, but they had the UTR blocked out so lender wouldn't accept them. I rang HMRC who said ALL faxed SA302s have UTR removed for privacy reasons! Some days I just want to hold up my hands and surrender....

If you are telephoning them claiming to be the agent (and passing very basic security questions to prove it) and asking them t post an SA302 to one of their two known, trusted, addresses, they will send unredacted documents.

If you verbally give them a fax number and ask them to fax it (which is a bit of a favour already) then the redact the UTR under their data protection policy.

In practice its common sense an we all do it i expect (albeit less formally)  For example - If a client phoned here asking the receptionist to send a copy of his accounts to his home address id expect her to do it.  If they asked questions about the figures or asked them to be sent elsewhere then I'd expect her  put him through to me (assuming I will then recognise his voice or be able to ascertain it is the actual client I'm talking to).

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Replying to davexyz:
Red Leader
By Red Leader
22nd Oct 2015 16:55

brokers

They're like estate agents. Say the first thing that comes into their heads, then swear blind it's true, and blame the accountant/lender/anyone not in the room.

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