In December 2014, when HMRC stop using the 0845 numbers, customers who continue using those numbers will hear a message saying that the line is closed. The message will give them the 03 number for the helpline and the call will then end. The customer will need to dial the 03 number to receive the assistance they were looking for.
For most customers, an 03 number is cheaper to call than an 0845 number and it is Government and Ofcom policy is to use 03 numbers.
Direct recovery of debt - a power too far?
2 September 2014
Readers will recall the HMRC proposal to collect certain unpaid debts directly from bank accounts, which aroused concerns among CIPP members as well as several representative bodies, charities and civil liberties groups. A petition has now been launched to ask the Government not to implement this proposal in Finance Act 2015, but instead to carry out a wide-ranging consultation on the problem of deliberate non-payment and potential solutions.
Members who wish to sign the petition should follow this link .
Whilst the CIPP members who commented did not oppose the HMRC proposal, concerns were raised about HMRC having the powers to carry out a "carte blanche" approach to those who do not meet their liabilities, or appear to not have met their liabilities. The CIPP therefore would like to support Taxation Magazine and the accountancy bodies in calling for a review into what more can be done to tackle those who avoid or evade paying their taxes, before rushing through these new powers. There could be many reasons why HMRC records show a non-payment, and we would urge the Treasury and HMRC to first invest in the Dashboard so businesses can see in real time HMRC's allocation of funds. This will help employers and business to understand if there are any differences and enable them to work with HMRC to correct them, whether an employer fault or an HMRC error. Confidence in HMRC's systems has to increase before powers of this kind can or should be given. Since the CIPP's formal response there has been anecdotal evidence to suggest that some members have experienced some steps being missed before proper investigation has taken place.
HMRC research into employers and intermediaries in a post-RTI world
2 September 2014
HMRC have published research commissioned to better understand the attitudes and capabilities of employers after the introduction of real time information.
This research was intended to:
Provide HMRC with a greater understanding of how employers manage Benefits in Kind (BiKs) and Expenses, and to help determine whether they could increase the number of employers who payroll these; Explore the PAYE system to better understand the roles and relationships within the PAYE system, specifically between HMRC, employers, payroll providers and individuals and to see how employers can be supported to help individuals and reduce the flow of interactions between individuals and HMRC. Understand the impact of RTI on payroll companies; how it is being experienced, attitudes and behaviours since the introduction of RTI; relationships between payroll companies and their clients; and consider the extent to which payroll companies have been, or anticipate being affected by the introduction of RTI.
CIPP Policy News Journal
08/04/2015, Page 200 of 521
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