SA302s, HMRC online

[d000hg]

Final-checking my SATR return due (cutting it fine this year!) I went to HMRC online and can see my 2020/21 return is filed and payments listed for 31.1 and 31.7 as expected but they are slightly lower than what my SATR says. The wife and I set up marriage allowance for the first time and my accountant said they file my SATR as normal and then it gets adjusted by HMRC - I can see the total bill is lower by £251 which all ties up.

But, I cannot drill down into any further detail. Is this normal? Obviously I retain my SATR but what was filed doesn't match what they are billing and I can't access any breakdown of this online. Similarly I cannot use the "view SA302" for any year, since the accounts weren't filed through the HMRCOnline site. I've had issues with that before where neither HMRC nor my accountant were able to give me this document. What's the point of an online system if it won't let you see things?

I'm sure everything is correct but it's annoyingly opaque.

[Maslins]

Unsure if there's a question (other than a rhetorical one) in your post?

You're right that where you/an accountant files a CT return from 3rd party software (which will virtually always be the case if an accountant does it), then you can't get an SA302 online from HMRC. The accountant should be able to provide one that goes alongside what they submitted. However, where as it sounds like has happened here HMRC tweak some numbers, the accountant's version then won't tally with HMRC figures.

Normally when HMRC change some figures on an SA submission, they'll write to you explaining why, typically including a paper SA302 as they now see things. However it sounds like you've worked out what the difference is anyway.

[d000hg]

Unsure if there's a question (other than a rhetorical one) in your post?

Mainly to be sure this IS normal and I haven't ended up in some mangled corner-case

You're right that where you/an accountant files a CT return from 3rd party software (which will virtually always be the case if an accountant does it), then you can't get an SA302 online from HMRC. The accountant should be able to provide one that goes alongside what they submitted.

OK, thanks. The situation I had before was I was asked by a mortgage lender for an SA302 for a year or 2 previous and nobody seemed able to produce one. The accountant could produce the same information but it didn't say SA302 so they wouldn't look at it, HMRC told me it wasn't their problem.

However, where as it sounds like has happened here HMRC tweak some numbers, the accountant's version then won't tally with HMRC figures.
Normally when HMRC change some figures on an SA submission, they'll write to you explaining why, typically including a paper SA302 as they now see things. However it sounds like you've worked out what the difference is anyway.

I shall wait to see if they send something but if so that would be great. Am I supposed to be able to get a paper copy of prior SA302s from HMRC, just not an online version?

Thanks

[Maslins]

The SA software we use (Taxcalc) can easily give us a page that says "SA302" at the top. Some lenders insist on us also providing "tax year overviews" (TYO) for the relevant periods. TYOs can always be obtained from HMRC portal. Key comfort this provides to the lender is that we've actually submitted the SA return showing the figures on the SA302. Ie we couldn't just mock up an SA return showing you earn £millions, give you that PDF to provide to lender, then submit the actual return with much lower figures!

HMRC should be able to send you an SA302 if you ask...but no easy way to get it online. Ie you'd need to call up, ask them to post it, they may grumble that your software should be able to provide it etc, so you need to insist.