Blog - Payroll Blog
Pressure is on for HMRC
The pressure is on for Lin Homer, who this week took over as the new Civil Service boss of HMRC.
Rumors circulating at the moment suggest that HMRC’s shortcomings include an untried IT system, questions of taxpayer confidentiality and additional burdens on small businesses.
The plan for universal credit is dependent on a new IT system at HMRC called the Real Time Initiative, which will force all businesses to update changes in their employees’ pay monthly instead of annually.
A year-long RTI pilot is due to start in eight weeks and universal credit is due to go live in the autumn of next year. But there is a severe lack of confidence in this initiative.
One senior figure said: “The idea that universal credit will be ready to roll in 2013 is pie in the sky. It just won’t be possible to meet the deadlines.”
DWP officials are on the whole unhappy that they will not be given information from the pilot. HMRC officials are bound by law not to reveal anyone’s tax details. They’ve not even been allowed to tell other government departments – with a few exceptions, such as helping the police in cases of murder.
It seems old privacy habits at HMRC die hard, leaving the finance community to rumor some more.
Payroll News
- HMRC’s new computer system falls short ahead of RTI
- Nine million could enter pensions under auto-enrolment
- Question over transparency of HMRC’s RTI user group
- PAC reveals documented concern over RTI
- Experts caution over PAYE changes
- HMRC will not replace the P45
- Unified Software to help employers meet RTI
- Small firms lack IT resources to implement RTI
- MPs urge HMRC to help small businesses with RTI
- Questions over HMRC policy to monitor staff hours
- HMRC stand by RTI schedule
