It’s now mid January and one new year’s resolution we don’t want to break is our commitment to make sure we reach you with all our HMRC email notifications.
We know from Twitter and agent discussion forums last year that some of you weren’t getting email ‘success’ acknowledgements for the online SA tax returns you filed for your clients.
You thought agents’ experiences differed - some were receiving all (or most) emails whilst others weren’t getting any. Having looked into this, we’ve established that big internet service providers (ISPs) filter emails they suspect of being spam or ‘phishing’ and delete them – so some HMRC material never reaches its destination.
We wanted to make sure this doesn’t keep happening. Recently, our Digital programme team worked with ISPs and email providers, to make certain our acknowledgements get through. Guy Leeser, the Digital programme’s SA Process Owner, would like to know if we’ve succeeded. You can let us know by leaving a comment on this blog.
On a personal note, I’m about to take early retirement after nearly 25 years working in HMRC. I started as a Tax Inspector in Penzance and in my different locations and roles over the years have seen many ideas come and go - and some have even travelled full circle.
This happens in life and I think it’s healthy. We refresh and modernise what was done before, recognising that different circumstances demand different approaches. I believe it’s vital that we recognise the important role played by tax agents in the UK tax system. This blog is one small indication of our desire to support, inform and hear you.
My team will continue to talk to you through this blog, which we hope you will find interesting and helpful.
I hope 2014 is good for you all.
Ruth Owen, Director General Personal Tax talks about SA on the HMRC YouTube channel: http://youtu.be/qnR7-ao_NHU
Many Happy Returns at Christmas: Press Release 27 December: http://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/hm-revenue-customs-hmrc/pressreleases/many-happy-returns-at-christmas-944566
1 comment
Comment by Muriel Robertson (Robertson Binnie Limited) posted on
I have on;ly registered as an agent on the ;ast 12 months and have received no self assessment tax return acknowledgement emails whatsoever.