VAT Filer- HTTP Status Proxy Authentication required

vat-filer-http-status-proxy-authentication-required

VAT Filer- HTTP Status Proxy Authentication required

18th September 2024

IRIS VAT Filer- HTTP Status Proxy Authentication required

If you get a Data Retrieval Error, HTTP Status Proxy Authentication required error received when attempting to collect this client’s VAT data from HMRC.

This is normally caused by a environmental issue on your PC/Server/Hosting etc. This can affect a specific PC or all PCs, so check if all pcs with the VAT filer are affected – if one works then submit the VAT via that pc and get your IT to look into the other affected PC.

If all PCs are affected then get your IT team to read this: There is an issue in your environment (PC/Server/Hosted), as that warning is not coming directly from the IRIS VAT Filer. You will need to contact your IT/Technical team and check if a firewall/proxy setup is causing this and to look at unblocking your firewall or proxy. You may also want to investigate ‘HTTP Status Proxy Authentication’ warnings from HMRC sites etc online.

NOTE: IRIS Support can only advise on the steps above and below. We cannot further advise on your environmental setup (as every clients environment setup is different) and this would come under your IT teams responsibility. If you are ‘IRIS Hosted’ then speak to your hosting contact. If the VAT filer was working fine at a certain past date and then suddenly this error happens then pass that to your IT/Hosting team in case there was a recent change/update in your environment. If you have always had the error (VAT has never worked) then let your IT/Hosting team know.

Possible fixes: Previous VAT Clients had reported they used the methods below to fix the issue, as you note there is no single method to fix this due to the different environmental setups:

a. The IT setup needed to be on the ‘guest’ login, (which fixed the issue for the client)

b. You have to put a port exclusion into your proxy server, (which fixed the issue for the client)

c. You need to update the proxy settings to allow access to this address: https://api.service.hmrc.gov.uk and check your firewalls/Proxy setups

d. Update to the latest IRIS version (help and about. Check for Updates) but is unlikely to solve the issue

e. A test/workaround (and if feasible) is to install the IRIS VAT on another environment eg another pc/server which is not related/part/linked to the one affected. If it works on this new environment then you can work from this separate pc/server and continue to investigate the affected area.

f. You can update to the latest IRIS version (Help and About) and also to try and reset your ‘ASA login’ in the VAT Filer, read this KB but is unlikely to solve the issue