HMRC Agent Dashboard
13 May 2016
A question that comes up regularly from payroll agents is, are there plans to update the PAYE and liabilities viewer more frequently i.e.in real time?
A recent conversation on the CIPP Group on LinkedIn brought up this very question again where members were amongst other things sharing their frustrations regarding the issues of reconciliation.
When it was announced that agents would have access to the PAYE and liabilities viewer/Dashboard of their clients, one of the questions the CIPP Policy Team first asked was if there were plans to update the viewer more frequently i.e. in real time, as that was by far the biggest cause of angst that we were hearing from payroll agents on behalf of their clients. The answer was no; the question comes up regularly at the Agent Strategy Group on the off chance the answer will change - it hasn't so far.
We continue to lobby along with other stakeholders but we are not aware as yet whether the digital agenda will be able to resolve the long standing issues.
As for the timetable for larger tax agents i.e. 200 plus it is anticipated this will happen but we are not aware that a date for this has been published. The API strategy may offer a chink of light – but that is very much an aspiration for the future.
There is a Talking Points Webinar scheduled for the 19 May to provide an update on agent services. As with all Talking Points webinars it will be delivered by a subject expert, and there is time allowed for questions and answers. Whilst this does little to ease the pain of frustrating wasted and ‘lost time’ attempting to reconcile sums that can’t be reconciled in real time, it will provide an opportunity to ask questions of the subject experts and register concerns and individual issues.
Other resources include the Agent Account Managers which provides a possible route for assistance and resolution and the Tax Agent Blog also offers an opportunity to stay up to date and also to pass comment on any issues and experiences.
Samantha Mann, Senior Policy Officer for the CIPP represents members at the Agent Strategy Group. The next meeting is taking place on 13 June so if anyone has any agenda items they would like raised, please email policy with the details.