Thursday 3 November 2011

Online Submissions



My thanks to a loyal reader, who recently dropped me an email concerning the fact that HMRC do not provide free software for submitting a partnership short return online.

I sympathise.

However, given that HMRC are skint, and that I suspect that the "costs" of processing paper returns etc don't show up in the same "boxes" as the costs of providing free software, I doubt that they will ever provide the software for free.

Here is the text of the email, which I have been given permission to reproduce:

"I object to having to pay a third party in order to make a Partnership, short, return. 

HMRC provides a simple interactive form for personal S/A (which is arguably a more complex matter than partnership) but cannot do the same for partnership. 

Why must I pay to purchase software every year (since it is not reusable) to allow me to make a contribution from my hard-earned revenue? 

Furthermore, the source I chose (the cheapest) gave me 97 pages to fill in. The paper form has 8. 

I have complained formally but have received a brush off. 'There are relatively few partnerships in the land and it is not worthwhile for HMRC to provide their own software'. 

There are many software houses offering this service however! 

Why does not HMRC purchase one of  these and make it available free of charge? 

A Partnership return on paper is possible if submitted by 31/10 and that is now what I do. 

But this must be more expensive for HMRC. 

I accept the necessity for paying tax but I don't want to pay to pay it."



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8 comments:

  1. So why doesn't he just use the long?

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  2. I bet you have claimed for the software as expenses though?? Anyhow thought you may like to see GODS retirement message


    I wanted to let you know that I am announcing my retirement today, after over six years as Cabinet Secretary, Head of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office. I will be leaving the civil service at the end of the year.

    I have really enjoyed my time at the Cabinet Office and am extremely proud of the highly professional work that you do right at the centre of government. I have been a civil servant for 32 years and remain convinced of the importance of our traditional values of honesty, objectivity, impartiality and integrity in underpinning all the work that we do.

    Turning to the future, we are taking the opportunity to restructure roles at the top. The Cabinet Office has expanded and taken on new responsibilities since the election. In recognition of this, it will be led by a dedicated Permanent Secretary. Ian Watmore, currently head of the Efficiency and Reform Group, will take on this role. Jeremy Heywood will take over as Cabinet Secretary. There will no longer be a Permanent Secretary at No.10. The role of Head of the Civil Service will be taken on by one of the current departmental Permanent Secretaries, after a competition. He or she will provide leadership to the civil service alongside their existing departmental responsibilities.

    I would like to thank you all for your continuing hard work and commitment to public service. These are difficult times, but I am confident that you will continue to demonstrate professionalism and pace in facing the challenge of delivering better services with fewer resources. I am also sure that you will provide my successors with the same enthusiastic support which you have given me, and for which I am so grateful.



    getting out before the pension reforms no doubt!

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  3. Bottom of the barrel story Kenneth me ol' mucker.

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  4. Don't worry - once HMRC is fully privatised and handed to CapaGemitos everyone will be compelled to file online using a structured format invented by the software supplier for their returns and if they wan't any enhancement to the service will they themselves become responsible for bearing the costs so that the dividends can be paid to the conglomerate that was sold down the river to you by UK Government LLP.

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  5. @6 November 2011 22:28

    ... You forgot to mention that it will be registered somewhere offshore...

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  6. "I object to having to pay a third party in order to make a Partnership, short, return."

    Whatever way you look at it, you will always pay a price somewhere along the line for filling in a return.

    I mean a biro costs 20p. Do you object to that?

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  7. @7 November 2011 23:57

    Then there are those who feel they are 'penalised' for having a shorter filing period for paper returns.

    Consider this:

    Your start time at work is 9:30 and you work on the top floor of a 100-storey building with a high speed lift that arrived on your floor within a minute. It costs £1 to use it if you are on the ground floor at 9:29 and wish to reach floor 100, or free if you wish to wait your turn. There is also a set of stairs available if you are against the idea of lifts purely based on a fear of technology. The stair climb takes 15 minutes.

    You can guarantee there will always be a group of people who will arrive at 9:29 and choose to take the stairs but arrive at work at 9:44 but claim they should not be penalised for the fact they do not wish to adapt to the idea of using a modern convenience.

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  8. "Why does not HMRC purchase one of these and make it available free of charge?"

    Because that would be called something called 'nationalisation' - which is something most people on this site and the current government LLP strongly object to.

    ReplyDelete