HMRC phases in new IT system
The current VAT mainframe computer will be decommissioned next year. HMRC is preparing for this by moving businesses to a new IT system over the next few months. Why might this mean problems with payments?
HMRC intends to start moving taxpayer accounts to a new IT system in July 2021 and hopes to finish by September 2021. This change will affect:
- VAT-registered businesses that are not signed up to Making Tax Digital, i.e. mainly voluntary registrations; and
- businesses that pay their VAT bills by direct debit.
To comply with banking regulations, HMRC has to inform businesses that pay by direct debit of the amount and payment date before the payment is taken. Due to the short timeframe between the return due date and the payment date, HMRC says it will only be able to do this by email following the change. If a business has no email on record, the direct debit will be cancelled, meaning the business is at risk of paying late. It is therefore worth logging into the business tax account now to ensure there is an email address on record.
Related Topics
-
Timetable for agent multi-factor authentication rollout published
HMRC has published further details of its plans to introduce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for tax agents. The rollout is intended to strengthen security across HMRC's online services and will be introduced in stages over the coming months. What do you need to know?
-
Using the EIS to unwind capital gains tax
You inherited shares from your father last year and sold them several months later making a tidy capital gain. You’ve read that the enterprise investment scheme (EIS) can defer the resulting tax bill, but how might it reduce it?
-
Electronic VAT return and payment due