Consistent Attitude Sadly, from my experience, you have not been singled out for special treatment Antony by the National face of Working Together.
He has stated to me on several occasions that HMRC do not make mistakes........it's Taxpapyers or Agents that either send in the wrong information of no information at all. I find this naive approach indefencible.
If life were really that simple Mr Rattray, why we there be any need for Working Together at all, or why would I need to spend a minimum of two half days a year meeting with HMRC staff, trying to sort out all of the HMRC '#### ups' ?
Not On This Site There have been many postings as to the 'proper' use of contributions on this site. It is not my wish NOW, or indeed on the two previous occasions that I have contributed on this topic, to fall foul of the protocol.
I can only suggest that Dorothy might need to develope her art for spotting a genuine posting from a facetious one, otherwise she might cause offence.
Have I Missed The Point? Not having an MP as a client places me at a disadvantage. Forgive me but if I have missed the point, but if they do not throw the orginal copy of their Return away, then you will be able to complete that and submit manually. Just a bit of 'copy writing'.
Alternatively, you will be able to file by FBI just the same as in all previous SA years, providing your 3rd party software can cope, with or without a 64-8 in force.
Good Luck................ I meet with accountants from around the SE of the country on a frequent basis. It never ceases to amaze me how 'low tech' some of them are.
It was not that long ago that one established practitioner announced, with pride, that they had now aqcuired a fax and were about to embark, for the first time, on having their letterheadings professionally printed. I also know of another who does not have any power to his London office and for light has an extention lead going down or up to another floor.
Whilst the above are not representative of the majority that I meet, others have refrained from FBI etc, because they do not see that there is any advantage and prefer to avoid the cost of third party software.
I have to admit that I would not want to go back to manual preparation of Returns (and might not be able to cope if I had to) but I suspect that the 'going' will get a lot tougher next year for the 'manual' agent, either due to the withdrawal of substitute Returns, or simply the shortened submission deadline for manual submissions.
Outside Consultants Most practitioners either have, or could give valuable insight into exactly where HMRC are and continue to go wrong.
Top of my 'Agenda' is that they don't listen to anyone (paid or unpaid) and simply carry on getting it wrong.
There needs to be a fundamental change in HMRC's willingness to listen, from the top to the bottom. Their statements maintaining that they do are misleading.
HMRC Propaganda! Great idea, but........................
If we didn't have to spend so much time sorting out all the problems created by HMRC's inefficiency, we could more productively spend our time over the holiday period.
Apart from having to foward Statements of Account to clients (where HMRC have no authority to send them to Agents) and trying to get sense out of two Call Centre who have no working phones, chasing answers to corespondence months old, its all going swimmingly this week!!!!!!!
I bet that HMRC staff will be working 'flat out' next week too.............
We were told at our 'continuing' Working Together group meeting recently that all repayment applications are monitored, so that they are made....automatically, without the need for chasing.
You and I know that this is not the case in the majority of cases. In fact (the very day after receiving the above information) I had a case where a 2004/05 repayment claim was made electronically, in time,, but no sign of the £800.
Chasing resulted in little satisfaction from the experience. Everyone I spoke to have never heard of Working Together (or, I might add, felt like embracing the spirit) and said that you have to chase for repayments not made immediately, or you don't get them.
I asked to speak with someone in Customer Services and was refused. They said they can't take calls and have to be told by the call centre to contact the practitioner and they then respond. I asked the operator to do so but, yes, you've guessed, they didn't contact me.
I then complained to 'Customer Services' several days later and they said it was MY fault. Had I said that I wanted to complain and asked to be put through to the 'Complaints Dept', there would have been no delay. The fact that I said 'Customer Services', apparently, confused the operator.
So, get in contact with the correpsonding 'Customer Services' dept by asking to be put through to 'Complaints' and then complain. It seems that is the only way you are going to make any satisfactory progress.
......add another one to your list! Having been told at our local Working Together Meeting that claims for repayments on SA100's were 'tracked' and not forgotten, I pursued an overdue 2004/05 repayment (made in good time) with NW Metropolitan Area.
The call centre operative had never heard of Working Together or the possibility that repayments (not made instantaneously) were 'tracked' at all. Furthermore, I was told that they believed the only way to trigger a repayment was to chase them!
It should have been clear to the operator that I was not happy and, such was my concern regarding other aspects of the call, I asked to be put through to Customer Services. I was told that this was not possible. All that he could do was to let them know that I wanted to speak with them and they would contact me. They never did.
Later, with the help of an 'insider' I was given a number for Customer Services and rang them. I was told that the reason I was not connected directly to someone with whom I could make a complaint was my fault!
Apparently, I had not asked to be put through to the "Complaints Department". Therefore, the operator was not certain that I wanted to make a complaint and made the assumption that I didn't. Silly me!!!!!!!!!!
Needless to say, having taken a note of my complaint.....I have heard nothing further and I am not confident that I ever will.
If this is all part of "Providing a Better Service", then my the Lord help us.
My answers
Consistent Attitude
Sadly, from my experience, you have not been singled out for special treatment Antony by the National face of Working Together.
He has stated to me on several occasions that HMRC do not make mistakes........it's Taxpapyers or Agents that either send in the wrong information of no information at all. I find this naive approach indefencible.
If life were really that simple Mr Rattray, why we there be any need for Working Together at all, or why would I need to spend a minimum of two half days a year meeting with HMRC staff, trying to sort out all of the HMRC '#### ups' ?
Fantastic Idea...........................
Kevin
Great idea mate, but the HMRC world is different to the one we all work in!
That Upto Date!
Got one too and already appealed. No pay no deductions....etc.
My only surprise is that, on past performance, HMRC or so upto date and have finished reviewing 2005/06 in less than twelve months!
Is it a record?
Not On This Site
There have been many postings as to the 'proper' use of contributions on this site. It is not my wish NOW, or indeed on the two previous occasions that I have contributed on this topic, to fall foul of the protocol.
I can only suggest that Dorothy might need to develope her art for spotting a genuine posting from a facetious one, otherwise she might cause offence.
Have I Missed The Point?
Not having an MP as a client places me at a disadvantage. Forgive me but if I have missed the point, but if they do not throw the orginal copy of their Return away, then you will be able to complete that and submit manually. Just a bit of 'copy writing'.
Alternatively, you will be able to file by FBI just the same as in all previous SA years, providing your 3rd party software can cope, with or without a 64-8 in force.
Good Luck................
I meet with accountants from around the SE of the country on a frequent basis. It never ceases to amaze me how 'low tech' some of them are.
It was not that long ago that one established practitioner announced, with pride, that they had now aqcuired a fax and were about to embark, for the first time, on having their letterheadings professionally printed. I also know of another who does not have any power to his London office and for light has an extention lead going down or up to another floor.
Whilst the above are not representative of the majority that I meet, others have refrained from FBI etc, because they do not see that there is any advantage and prefer to avoid the cost of third party software.
I have to admit that I would not want to go back to manual preparation of Returns (and might not be able to cope if I had to) but I suspect that the 'going' will get a lot tougher next year for the 'manual' agent, either due to the withdrawal of substitute Returns, or simply the shortened submission deadline for manual submissions.
Good luck to them.
Outside Consultants
Most practitioners either have, or could give valuable insight into exactly where HMRC are and continue to go wrong.
Top of my 'Agenda' is that they don't listen to anyone (paid or unpaid) and simply carry on getting it wrong.
There needs to be a fundamental change in HMRC's willingness to listen, from the top to the bottom. Their statements maintaining that they do are misleading.
HMRC Propaganda!
Great idea, but........................
If we didn't have to spend so much time sorting out all the problems created by HMRC's inefficiency, we could more productively spend our time over the holiday period.
Apart from having to foward Statements of Account to clients (where HMRC have no authority to send them to Agents) and trying to get sense out of two Call Centre who have no working phones, chasing answers to corespondence months old, its all going swimmingly this week!!!!!!!
I bet that HMRC staff will be working 'flat out' next week too.............
Complain
Susan
We were told at our 'continuing' Working Together group meeting recently that all repayment applications are monitored, so that they are made....automatically, without the need for chasing.
You and I know that this is not the case in the majority of cases. In fact (the very day after receiving the above information) I had a case where a 2004/05 repayment claim was made electronically, in time,, but no sign of the £800.
Chasing resulted in little satisfaction from the experience. Everyone I spoke to have never heard of Working Together (or, I might add, felt like embracing the spirit) and said that you have to chase for repayments not made immediately, or you don't get them.
I asked to speak with someone in Customer Services and was refused. They said they can't take calls and have to be told by the call centre to contact the practitioner and they then respond. I asked the operator to do so but, yes, you've guessed, they didn't contact me.
I then complained to 'Customer Services' several days later and they said it was MY fault. Had I said that I wanted to complain and asked to be put through to the 'Complaints Dept', there would have been no delay. The fact that I said 'Customer Services', apparently, confused the operator.
So, get in contact with the correpsonding 'Customer Services' dept by asking to be put through to 'Complaints' and then complain. It seems that is the only way you are going to make any satisfactory progress.
......add another one to your list!
Having been told at our local Working Together Meeting that claims for repayments on SA100's were 'tracked' and not forgotten, I pursued an overdue 2004/05 repayment (made in good time) with NW Metropolitan Area.
The call centre operative had never heard of Working Together or the possibility that repayments (not made instantaneously) were 'tracked' at all. Furthermore, I was told that they believed the only way to trigger a repayment was to chase them!
It should have been clear to the operator that I was not happy and, such was my concern regarding other aspects of the call, I asked to be put through to Customer Services. I was told that this was not possible. All that he could do was to let them know that I wanted to speak with them and they would contact me. They never did.
Later, with the help of an 'insider' I was given a number for Customer Services and rang them. I was told that the reason I was not connected directly to someone with whom I could make a complaint was my fault!
Apparently, I had not asked to be put through to the "Complaints Department". Therefore, the operator was not certain that I wanted to make a complaint and made the assumption that I didn't. Silly me!!!!!!!!!!
Needless to say, having taken a note of my complaint.....I have heard nothing further and I am not confident that I ever will.
If this is all part of "Providing a Better Service", then my the Lord help us.