HMRC’s Basic PAYE Tool failing to submit RTI

It has been over a month since Real Time Information was introduced and HMRC have successfully received records for over one million employer PAYE schemes. However, it has recently been brought to our attention that many people using HMRC’s Basic PAYE Tool have been unable to file RTI submissions.

The issue was raised by Payroll World yesterday, who discovered a pre-recorded message on HMRC’s helpline which said “We’re aware of an issue for some employers trying to submit their RTI returns using HMRC’s Basic PAYE tools. We are investigating this issue and will provide an update early next week.

Employers should pay their employees as normal even if they have problems with their payroll and can’t submit their PAYE until after they have paid their employees. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

This is not the first time HMRC’s Basic PAYE Tool has faced criticism, with the most recent software update requiring much higher computer specifications than previously, leaving many people unable to use the tool.

Some other issues which have been raised with the HMRC tool include:

• It can’t produce payslips
• It won’t record any other deductions unrelated to PAYE such as attachment of earnings
• You have to re-input figures every month
• You have to file RTI manually
• It doesn’t have a historic audit trail

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