Apologies if somebody has posted this already, but I am trying to complete VAT returns today for the 7th May deadline, and clients are phoning and texting because they are receiving texts from HMRC.
Asked first client to forward the text which says :-
Your eligible for the government's new scheme providing help to self employed people impacted by coronavirus. Get ready now. Search 'Check if you can claim a grant through the coronavirus Self-Employment Income Support Scheme' on GOV UK.
I am suspicious of first text because of the first word, bad grammar and lack of punctuation.
Then another client phoned because he had a text, sounds genuine because it started off "You might be eligible". I have explained that from what I can gather HMRC are contacting tax payers by email, or text (if no email address) and by letter if no other contact details.
I have also explained that unlike the Corona Virus Job Retention scheme HMRC have said that accountants cannot make the claim on behalf of their clients and that I thought that he would need to set up a government gateway account (being mindful that he is on a genuine site). I offered to talk him through setting up a government gateway account but he is going to get his mate's wife to do the claim for him .
I am worried that I am being bombarded by clients and not really knowing whether they have received a genuine text or email, whether they are looking at a genuine site, and that it all adds to the nightmare because if clients get caught by the scammers they may well find that their bank accounts are emptied and consequently blame me.
Corona Virus Job Retention Scheme was so much easier because we could log onto our agent government gateway account as agent and file from there and so we know that it is genuine.
Does anybody know if HMRC are any further forward on those who are not so digitally savvy?
Sorry for the long post, feeling a little frustrated as well and hoping not to be still be doing VAT Returns at midnight tonight and also hoping to have the bank holiday weekend off because I am exhausted from working through the corona virus as I am sure that everybody else is on here.
I have the same problem. HMRC say that when they set up the agent accounts for VAT many years ago, they set up the system so that they cannot change the address for a non VAT registered agent and with all of the advances in technology have not done anything to sort out this problem.
Has anybody else managed to overcome this?
Have phoned HMRC this morning re an arrangement to pay on a client who finds the payment options limited. In the last week HMRC have seen sense and are now accepting payments by direct debit.
I phoned HMRC on the normal number, you then have to ask to be transferred to the payment support team (no direct line number). If you are the client you can set up the direct debit there and then, alternatively the payment support team will phone your client to set up the direct debit.
Petition signed by husband and myself. We can't do Self Assessment five times a year! Once a year is enough for us. Our clients are definitely not technically savvy.
This January I have seen less of the TCB book keeping system since the introduction of the carrier bag tax. They now come in January carrying an unsteady pile of receipts etc. (not in a carrier bag)
My answers
Apologies if somebody has posted this already, but I am trying to complete VAT returns today for the 7th May deadline, and clients are phoning and texting because they are receiving texts from HMRC.
Asked first client to forward the text which says :-
Your eligible for the government's new scheme providing help to self employed people impacted by coronavirus. Get ready now. Search 'Check if you can claim a grant through the coronavirus Self-Employment Income Support Scheme' on GOV UK.
I am suspicious of first text because of the first word, bad grammar and lack of punctuation.
Then another client phoned because he had a text, sounds genuine because it started off "You might be eligible". I have explained that from what I can gather HMRC are contacting tax payers by email, or text (if no email address) and by letter if no other contact details.
I have also explained that unlike the Corona Virus Job Retention scheme HMRC have said that accountants cannot make the claim on behalf of their clients and that I thought that he would need to set up a government gateway account (being mindful that he is on a genuine site). I offered to talk him through setting up a government gateway account but he is going to get his mate's wife to do the claim for him .
I am worried that I am being bombarded by clients and not really knowing whether they have received a genuine text or email, whether they are looking at a genuine site, and that it all adds to the nightmare because if clients get caught by the scammers they may well find that their bank accounts are emptied and consequently blame me.
Corona Virus Job Retention Scheme was so much easier because we could log onto our agent government gateway account as agent and file from there and so we know that it is genuine.
Does anybody know if HMRC are any further forward on those who are not so digitally savvy?
Sorry for the long post, feeling a little frustrated as well and hoping not to be still be doing VAT Returns at midnight tonight and also hoping to have the bank holiday weekend off because I am exhausted from working through the corona virus as I am sure that everybody else is on here.
I have the same problem. HMRC say that when they set up the agent accounts for VAT many years ago, they set up the system so that they cannot change the address for a non VAT registered agent and with all of the advances in technology have not done anything to sort out this problem.
Has anybody else managed to overcome this?
Have phoned HMRC this morning re an arrangement to pay on a client who finds the payment options limited. In the last week HMRC have seen sense and are now accepting payments by direct debit.
I phoned HMRC on the normal number, you then have to ask to be transferred to the payment support team (no direct line number). If you are the client you can set up the direct debit there and then, alternatively the payment support team will phone your client to set up the direct debit.
Petition signed by husband and myself. We can't do Self Assessment five times a year! Once a year is enough for us. Our clients are definitely not technically savvy.
This January I have seen less of the TCB book keeping system since the introduction of the carrier bag tax. They now come in January carrying an unsteady pile of receipts etc. (not in a carrier bag)
The worst client!
Me too - I still have to do my own accounts which are also due in by 31 December - want to get them filed before Xmas so that I can feel more relaxed.
I call myself the worst client because I give the "proper clients" priority and so my own stuff gets put on the back burner.
Happy Xmas everyone.