Save content
Have you found this content useful? Use the button above to save it to your profile.
AIA

SA Online recovers in face of very high demand

by
31st Jan 2005
Save content
Have you found this content useful? Use the button above to save it to your profile.

The Inland Revenue has apologised for disruption to its online self assessment service and offered 14 days' grace for resubmission of "failed" returns.

The SA Online website seemed to be recovering today after it appeared to collapse under the weight of traffic on Sunday.

The Revenue said a very high level of demand had slowed the service down in the run-up to today's deadline for submission of 2004 tax returns.

Several TaxZone readers reported an improvement this morning. Many readers were unable to access SA Online at all late on Sunday, or encountered other problems during the weekend.

A Revenue spokesman told TaxZone at noon today: "The SA On-line service is working and received thousands of returns over the weekend.

"There is a very high level of demand and this is resulting in the service running more slowly than would otherwise be the case. Messages acknowledging receipt of the return are being issued."

Failed submissions
The Revenue posted the following message on its website this afternoon:

"We have now resolved the delays in issuing responses to SA submissions submitted via the Internet over the weekend. All queued messages have now been cleared and you will have received your submission responses. This applies to returns submitted via our own software or via commercial products.

"We recognise that if the submissions failed our validation, you may be unable to rectify and resubmit before the deadline. We hold a complete record of all submissions over the weekend and if any of those failed submissions are re-submitted within 14 days of the date when we sent out the 'submission failed' message we will waive any late filing penalty notices. Any payments due should still be made by 31 January.

"We apologise for the disruption to the service and can assure you that no details have been lost and there is no need to resubmit successful returns. Any returns submitted today will be processed in the normal manner."

Tax Faculty
The ICAEW's Tax Faculty said today in a statement on its website:

"There has been a flurry of activity in the national media and on TaxZone and other tax websites about recent problems in filing SA tax returns over the internet.

"The evidence is anecdotal but seems pretty conclusive - there has been a problem with the Revenue's online filing facility.

"People have been filing returns but not getting acknowledgments, or trying to file but not getting access or being 'timed out'.

"The Tax Faculty and other Working Together partners have voiced their concerns to the Inland Revenue, who have acted quickly to issue [the above statement].

"We welcome the Revenue's offer of a 14 days 'grace period' for resubmitting returns which didn't go through electronically the first time.

"Nonetheless we recommend that practitioners and taxpayers keep a careful record of their e-filing problems and the extra time and cost that this may have caused them - the Revenue's Code of Practice 1 explains how compensation can be claimed.

"Also, for returns filed after 31 January, the window for the Revenue to open an enquiry is extended by three months, to 30 April 2006 (assuming the return is filed by 30 April 2005).

"We hope that as well as waiving penalties, the Revenue will ensure that the enquiry window is not extended for returns filed late due to Revenue system problems."

The Revenue has maintained that there was no "widespread service problem" other than delays in issuing responses to returns submitted.

The Revenue confirmed that a delay in transmission of a receipt does not alter the date of delivery of the return for the purpose of the late filing penalty.

TaxZone members reported several problems on Sunday, in response to a question posted in Any Answers.

Andrew Goodall
[email protected]

Tags:

Replies (8)

Please login or register to join the discussion.

Andrew Goodall
By Andrew Goodall
31st Jan 2005 21:53

No general extension
Dickie, there is no extension of the filing deadline. I did not hear the radio bulletin that you mention but it may have been referring to the 14 days' grace offered in relation to failed submissions, announced by the Revenue today. There is no general extension of the filing date for e-filers at present.

Ian, thanks for your kind words.

Regards

Andrew Goodall
[email protected]

Thanks (0)
avatar
By neileg
01st Feb 2005 13:12

I managed to file my own tax return on Sunday around 2pm, but didn't get the acknowledgement until Monday.

However, I also struggled with the epayments website on Monday, since I wanted to pay my balance and reduce any potential penalty to zero. I guess alot of other people had the same idea. I eventually got it paid but probably only because I had access via my employers ultra high speed internet connection. On any dial up or even broadband connection the site would have timed out.

Thanks (0)
avatar
By User deleted
31st Jan 2005 20:26

Breaking News...
Deadline extended for 2 more weeks for efilers.

Source: BBC

Hurrah!

Thanks (0)
avatar
By IanClark
31st Jan 2005 21:14

Thank You Andrew
May I say a personal thank you to Andrew, who was there on Saturday and Sunday when the frustration was at it's height.

Many of us had no idea what was going on, the IR wouldn't answer their phones, and without Accounting Web, we would have not even known that other people were having the same problems as us.

And then in strides Andrew, the editor, who manages with his secret sources, to actually talk to a human (?) at the IR and gets a response, not a good response but at least a response, and what's more posts on the site several times, to keep us up to date.

Thanks for that Andrew, we appreciate it.

Wonder if the IR will learn from this, and give us a real status on their website, or even better give us agents a different filing gateway from the individuals who seemed to clog up the system over the weekend, presumably most of them using IR software, rather than external software. Still let's not hold our breath on that shall we?.

I'm off for a large scotch.

Thanks (0)
avatar
By carnmores
31st Jan 2005 16:54

Andrew
so all my [***] has not been in vain!

any chance of compensation<

thanks Andrew

Thanks (0)
avatar
By clark jenner
31st Jan 2005 17:10

FBI problems
I have read todays comments with interest. I filed my last clients'FBI return yesterday (Sunday) at around 8.15 in the morning.

I use Digita, and nothing happened and I assumed that I would have to include the signed version with the few others (including mine and my wifes) that I was taking to the tax office this morning.

When I woke the system up this morning I received a successful email, it took 23 hours.

I have not ever used ELS as when it started we were too small to be accepted, FBI on the whole has been a total revelation and works well.

I do have a couple of beefs; it seems to take for ever for a 64-8 to be registered on the site, particularly for partnerships.

It would help if the IR website agents zone could display partnerships registered to the practice. To find these out you have to go to Government Gateway and guess what? No client names.

You therefore have to match tye UTRs to the clients which is irritating.

I am now going to have a large drink as they are all in!

I now understand why our friends in the US have parties at the end of tax season.

Cliff Jenner

Thanks (0)
avatar
By carnmores
31st Jan 2005 17:31

its backed up again
17.31 and its jammed again, i am not staying all night on the off chance that some other filers might give up!

THIS WILL GO DOWN AS A CLASSIC CASE OF HOW TO BLOW ALL YOUR GOODWILL IN ONE GO

Thanks (0)
avatar
By User deleted
01st Feb 2005 08:51

Conflicts - agents and home users?
We had no problems filing any returns. We didn't try on Sunday, and filed several between 10:30 and 17:30. The only issue that we had was not being able to log on to the Inland Revenue portal to check client balances.

I'm only guessing, but perhaps the same sites are used by agents and by individual taxpayers filing the returns? That could well explain why it fell over on the Sunday, and again at 5.30 last night, but worked reasonably well through the day. Private individuals would be more likely to use the systems on the weekend and evenings.

If that's the case, then there should be serious consideration given to providing separate facilities for agents filing by internet. In most cases, the individuals will be completing the return on screen, taking their time, and perhaps going off for coffee etc, while still logged in. Agents, on the other hand, usually have the return fully prepared and just need a few seconds to file it and log off. (Yes, I know some agents copy the forms on screen)

And I'll add my voice to the plea for client names on the website and on emails!

Thanks (0)