The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals ……………………………………………………………Policy News Journal
“Phishing emails are a major focus for our Cyber Security Team. They’re more than just unwanted messages; they are a means by which criminals look to exploit members of the public and gain access to their personal and financial data. This in turn can lead to fraud and identity theft. By introducing a new level of security, we’ve been able to tackle these threats head-on and almost all attempts to scam taxpayers by pretending to be from an HMRC email address will now fall flat. The added security this brings will be invaluable, especially at this time of year when many customers are busy using their online Personal Tax Account to submit their Self-Assessment returns.” The achievement has been made possible through HMRC’s implementation of the email authentication protocol Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC). The security process works by determining which email servers are allowed to send emails on behalf of the organisation. If an email passes the checks it is deemed legitimate and delivered. If it fails then it is deemed fraudulent and is not delivered.
Ed Tucker, who recently won the Security Professional of the Year award at the UK IT Industry Awards, added:
“While this does not mean a complete end to HMRC-based phishing, it has taken hundreds of millions of scam messages out of circulation and will make criminals’ emails look far less legitimate, giving our customers a much better chance of spotting them.”
Together with HMRC’s guidance on genuine contacts and recognising phishing emails, this should make fraudulent attempts easier to spot.
If you do receive an email you’re unsure about send it to phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk , or if it’s an SMS message forward it to 60599. You can find further advice on online safety at http://www.getsafeonline.co.uk/ .
Further information on the initiative is available on HMRC’s digital blog .
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A wasp in my car caused me to have an accident… 21 December 2016
…and my tax return, which was inside, was destroyed. Just one of the failed excuses used for not sending a self assessment tax return on time.
Each year HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) receives a number of unusual excuses why Self Assessment (SA) customers didn’t complete their tax return on time.
These include:
1. My tax return was on my yacht, which caught fire. 2. A wasp in my car caused me to have an accident and my tax return, which was inside, was destroyed. 3. My wife helps me with my tax return, but she had a headache for ten days. 4. My dog ate my tax return...and all of the reminders. 5. I couldn't complete my tax return, because my husband left me and took our accountant with him. I am currently trying to find a new accountant. 6. My child scribbled all over the tax return, so I wasn't able to send it back. 7. I work for myself, but a colleague borrowed my tax return to photocopy it and lost it. 8. My husband told me the deadline was the 31st March. 9. My internet connection failed. 10. The postman doesn’t deliver to my house.
The reasons above were all used in unsuccessful appeals against HMRC penalties for late returns.
The deadline for sending 2015-16 Self Assessment tax returns to HMRC, and paying any tax owed, is 31 January 2017. Self Assessment customers can now also submit their return via their Personal Tax Account, it takes five minutes to sign up for an account .
Customers who provide HMRC with a reasonable excuse before the 31 January deadline can avoid a penalty after this date.
The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals
Policy News Journal
cipp.org.uk
Page 307 of 588
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