HMRC are no longer providing pay and tax details to Accountants and Agents

HMRC have stated that from 1 May 2017 they will no longer provide accountants and agents details of their clients pay and tax over the phone, even when that agent is authorised to act for the client.

 It’s a measure designed to address security issues with providing sensitive information over the phone, they will instead send a letter containing the requested information directly to the client for them to forward onto their agent. This is an interesting move as we head towards MTD and could have a big impact on the service and efficiency of a practice while they wait for their client to receive this information and then forward it on to them.

The alternative is to ask clients to access their digital tax account online to find out this information and provide it to you. 

With IRIS there is a better way…in our most recent release we incorporated functionality that allows the IRIS personal tax products (including Keytime and PTP) to retrieve certain information about your clients direct from HMRC. This includes:

• Employment records, including pay, tax deducted and employment benefits received
• Pensions and state benefits received
• Marriage allowance claims (whether the transferor or receiver)
• Class 2 National Insurance amounts due

 The information can be pulled directly from HMRC into your client’s tax return, saving you from having to contact either HMRC or your client to request it and then wait for them to send it on to you.

This feature was included in our April release and as soon as HMRC have confirmed the availability of the service we will switch this feature on for all of our customers. Look out for this great new feature expected to go live in the next couple of weeks.

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