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Digital by Default: HMRC update

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23rd May 2014
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Three of HMRC’s new digital services are progressing through user testing in preparation for potential release to the wider public next spring.

The revamped business tax dashboard, now known as Your Tax Account (YTA), PAYE for employees and Self Assessment Online are all going through a new form of iterative user testing, at the moment, according to HMRC head of customer engagement Julian Hatt .

PAYE for employees could be ready for public beta testing as soon as June, he said. In addition, YTA has completed private user testing and will be ready for public trials in the near future.

Agent Online Self Serve, the final "exemplar" of HMRC's new digital strategy, is set for private beta testing this autumn, although this timetable could change depending on its development.

Using a new "agile" approach to developing its software, the tax department has involved customers and staff from the outset in the design and development of the new online services. Each of these is then put together in a series of small, incremental steps.

At a recent IFA regional conference in Birmingham, Hatt gave an update of where each of the services stood, and what work lies ahead. A very similar lecture was also presented at Accountex last week.

Some of the main updates include: 

  • 750 people, including a number of IFA members, volunteered to use the ‘Your tax account’ private beta, with around 100  of them providing detailed feedback via a survey
  • Your tax account, and Digital SA - which is accessed through Your tax account - will be rolled out to a greater number of SME business customers, as a pilot (public beta) from 27 May 2014 - by invitation only, to give HMRC more control over the numbers of businesses using the service at any given time
  • All SA individual customers, when they log on to SA Online, will also be able to see the Your tax account invitation and (if they wish to do so) sign up for Your tax account and, hence, the Digital SA exemplar
  • As HMRC wants to build up numbers gradually for Your tax account and Digital SA users, invitations to sign up may not be available all of the time, or be available to all business customers. Customers who do sign up will be aware that they are participating in a pilot, and that, because of this, the service is being developed, tested and improved
  • The third exemplar (PAYE for employees) will be rolled out to a wider audience later in 2014 and HMRC will increase the numbers of volunteers participating in the ‘private beta’ stage (meaning the services are being tested with a small audience)
  • The fourth exemplar, Agent Online Self Serve, will deliver digital services for agents. The components of this service (registration, authorisation and an agent's homepage) will be developed and tested during the summer 2014, with select users due to prototype the service in the autumn 2014 (private beta). The intention is then to expand the service to a larger range of users in the spring 2015 (public beta).

Hatt highlighted the nature of beta services and what customers should expect of them. "Because they're beta services, some functions might not work as intended first time around. Feedback from users will remain pivotal to ongoing development during the public beta phase and, indeed, beyond. Security is paramount: HMRC will not play ‘fast and loose’ with customer data, and existing services won’t be switched off until the new ones are fully operational.”

According to HMRC, the new digital services will be built on a new “multi-channel digital tax platform” that will eventually replace the current HMRC Portal. 

The new tax platform will be fully integrated with the pan-government ID Assurance Programme and with GOV.UK.

The reasoning behind the Digital Strategy was discussed in more detail by Jennifer Adams, who attended a meeting in Portsmouth given by HMRC.

Hatt said that the concept of bringing HMRC's tech platforms together to create a 'single view' of the taxpayer has been unanimously supported. The challenge lies in "getting it right" for everyone.   

"It's no big secret that government departments, not just HMRC, are being asked to deliver business in a more cost effective way. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to give customers many more opportunities to transact with HMRC online, or to resolve their queries/obtain necessary information without needing to contact HMRC by phone or in writing – the benefits of which both the Revenue and its customers have already enjoyed from existing online services," Hatt explained. 

“Digital solutions play a major role in this. We must provide online services good enough that people who are able to use them want to use them, finding them preferable to any alternative channel, while ensuring that those who cannot use them are not disadvantaged,” he added

HMRC is working with the Government Digital Service on its assisted digital agenda to ensure that people who might have difficulty accessing online services because of disability or other reasons get the support they need to complete their transactions online. 

In addition, Hatt mentioned emerging research that suggested a link between improved customer experience and closing the tax gap.

Hatt also answered concerns from advisers that clients would be able to see Your tax account before they would be able to access Agents Online Self Serve. 

"You are incredibly important to us. I appreciate you don’t always feel like that but we will work hard to change this," he said.

"A large chunk of what we do is common ground, so we will focus on this and get right as much as we can for our mutual benefit." 

"If the testing goes well, we expect the private beta for Agent Online Self-Service to be available around autumn/winter this year," Hatt said, adding that the Revenue wasn't being complacent with timeframes but needing to spend time proving the platform is reliable.

When asked about potential issues that may arise, Hatt added that as with all large-scale technical developments, it's only natural that things do go wrong sometimes, but that: "There's a difference between things going wrong, and having gaps in meeting user needs. One of the big advantages of our ‘agile’ [software development] methodology and the facility to trial new functions and features in beta services, is the opportunity to respond very quickly to customer feedback, whether they’re telling us that things aren’t working properly, or that they’d prefer things to be done differently.”

Replies (2)

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By dmmarler
27th May 2014 14:28

Broadband, equipment and financial issues

Wonderful!  There seems to be a total lack of acknowledgement that broadband is still erratic in many areas, and that it and up to date computer equipment costs money.  The DWP does not provide benefits other than at subsistence level.  There are going to be millions of people who will not have access to a reasonable broadband connection, and more who cannot afford it.  These people will not be in the testing as they simply will not have heard about it, nor will they be able so to do. 

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By the_Poacher
28th May 2014 08:28

Cheap
Government departments have to manage with fewer staff and smaller budgets. This means more self serve and less face to face and as always the poorest suffer the most

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