GOV.UK concerns
23 October 2014
The CIPP policy team acknowledges members concerns over the new GOV.UK website.
When material is being moved across, it can be difficult to ascertain if something is new, or more often (according to members) missing. The policy team are expressing their concerns to those responsible for the new site but would urge members to help the CIPP identify what is missing. You can do this by opening different areas and when something isn’t right, or you would expect something to be there please use the comments field at the bottom of each page to report it. If you are happy to keep a log of anything you send and check it has been updated/acknowledged and feed into policy , the team would be very grateful.
HMRC Digital Strategy – examining the detail
23 October 2014
Readers may be forgiven for not yet opening the new HMRC Digital Strategy document, but it does include some interesting insights into the future of digital interaction between HMRC and their customers.
The Strategy document which was recently published on News On Line starts from the recognition that
HMRC has high volume online transactions, but for a small number of services, while Few services are provided through digital channels from beginning to end.
Hardly a novel insight perhaps, but one which sets a clear implicit challenge which HMRC are keen to address through a phased programme of improving current services and introducing new ones, leading over a period of years to a major transformation in the way the Department interacts with all of its customers. We would recommend that our readers find a moment to look at this document in full, and maybe to report any reactions to policy , but a short summary of some aspects of relevance to payroll may be of interest.
The strategy reports first on plans for what it calls four exemplar services which have already been launched, including (of particular interest to payroll professionals):
PAYE for Employees: making it easier for customers to tell HMRC about changes that affect their tax code, starting with being able to inform of changes to company car provision and car fuel benefit. This will have no impact on the employer processes; it simply enables the employee to contact HMRC directly and digitally to inform them of changes. Presumably car and car fuel were picked because statistically they represent the most common benefit and the most likely to create customer contact. Digital Self-Assessment: making Self-Assessment filing a completely digital process. Currently many employees, including those in certain sectors, are still obliged to file paper returns which increases the scope for delay and error.
The next phase will involve improving digital services for businesses through:
Your Tax Account: which joins up existing online services for small business customers Agent Online Self-service: which makes it easier to register as an agent for HMRC services. One of the first agent services to be tested will be access to the client PAYE and Liabilities viewer, perhaps better known as the Dashboard. CIPP agent members can be involved in the early build and test process if they contact us at policy .
CIPP Policy News Journal
08/04/2015, Page 181 of 521
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