UK:Millions of 'missing' tax records

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Wednesday, 19 July, 2000, 23:35 GMT 00:35 UK Millions of 'missing' tax records

The Inland Revenue denies records are missing

Millions of tax records have gone "missing" after the Inland Revenue suffered computer problems, it has been claimed. The magazine Computer Weekly says it has a leaked briefing paper which shows up to 5.2 million cases are being investigated over missing records.

The magazine says problems developed after a computer storing national insurance details was linked with the machine which manages the Paye scheme, both of which are operated by private firms.

But the Inland Revenue says the suggestion that millions of tax records have gone missing is wrong.

Incomplete records may be left "open", say taxmen

A copy of the briefing paper supplied by the magazine describes "large numbers of missing pay and tax items for 98/99 (5.2 million compared to three million 97/98 items missing at June 99)".

In a statement, the taxmen said details of tax and pay are passed between the two computers every year and some records are left "open" for a "variety of reasons".

"This is not because the Inland Revenue or its computer systems have "lost" any information or there is any problem with the systems."

Records could remain open where employers had supplied incomplete information or workers had moved into self-employment, the statement said.

"The Inland Revenue has well established arrangements to deal with these situations and ensure that the correct information is obtained and the right amount of tax is paid."

Records could be re-opened even if information was cleared from the Paye computer, the statement added, "if any new information subsequently emerges which may affect tax liability for the year in question".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_842000/842169.stm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), July 20, 2000

Answers

Inland Revenue joins Internet hall of shame

The planet-sized cock-up stems from the
apparent failure of two computer systems
- one run by EDS and another run by
Andersen Consulting - to talk to one
another. You'd have thought they'd have
checked. But no. While large sections of
the Inland Revenue can scythe through
millions of tiny entries and come up with
a figure accurate to one pence, the IT
department is more a fan of the sticky-
back plastic and string approach.

It is simply staggering that FIVE MILLION
records can be misplaced. And now the
Inland Revenue has requested that the
files be closed - effectively writing
off any tax rebates/demands.

The Register

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), July 20, 2000.


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