Change tax code using RTI Basic PAYE Tools

[oversteer]

I think that's the message you get when you are trying to change the code with the previous tax year selected.

[pmasoft]

Oh, how do you get to that? The only thing I can find, and this is using a fresh download and clean install from four days ago, of Basic PAYE Tools - Standard Mode, on Windows, is under:

Employer | Manage Employees | Employee | Tax code change

whereupon the text of the actioning option is:

[ ] HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued a tax code (P6) for this employee
or
HMRC has not yet issued any tax codes (P6) for this employee but I have now received a P45 part 3 from this employee.

You get to it by clicking the link that was supplied in the reply....Doh!

[ittony]

Just done it now. The relevant option is
"I have received a P9(T) or P9X for the tax year shown at the top of the page, or have viewed the P9X guidance online at GOV.UK." (emphasis added)

So go and read P9X guidance at
https://www.gov.uk/government/upload.../P9X_2015_.pdf
and it says "Add 60 to any tax code starting L"

Now you can truthfully choose the second option.

Oh, how do you get to that? The only thing I can find, and this is using a fresh download and clean install from four days ago, of Basic PAYE Tools - Standard Mode, on Windows, is under:

Employer | Manage Employees | Employee | Tax code change

whereupon the text of the actioning option is:

[ ] HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued a tax code (P6) for this employee
or
HMRC has not yet issued any tax codes (P6) for this employee but I have now received a P45 part 3 from this employee.

[oversteer]

Just done it now. The relevant option is
"I have received a P9(T) or P9X for the tax year shown at the top of the page, or have viewed the P9X guidance online at GOV.UK." (emphasis added)

So go and read P9X guidance at
https://www.gov.uk/government/upload.../P9X_2015_.pdf
and it says "Add 60 to any tax code starting L"

Now you can truthfully choose the second option.

[pmasoft]

There is nothing stopping you doing it, but the RTI tool makes it quite clear you should only do it if you have had a P6 for the employee.

If you play by the rules then you can't just change it.

When has last time HMRC ever made a sensible rule?

[DaveB]

Its been a while since I used the Basic PAYE tools but I don't think I ever needed a coding notice to update the tax code for the new year - you can automatically update to the new normal tax code for the tax year without a coding notice.

There is nothing stopping you doing it, but the RTI tool makes it quite clear you should only do it if you have had a P6 for the employee.

If you play by the rules then you can't just change it.

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

Its been a while since I used the Basic PAYE tools but I don't think I ever needed a coding notice to update the tax code for the new year - you can automatically update to the new normal tax code for the tax year without a coding notice.

[ittony]

I recently updated my version of HMRC's RTI software. Apparently everyone has to (as indeed you have) because auto updates don't cut the mustard.

When I tried submitting my first salary payment for the current tax year (using the new software), I got a warning that my tax code was the default emergency tax code for the previous year. I duly updated it to the current year's tax code and submitted it without any problems.

That's the warning it was giving me the whole of last year, but I couldn't change it without saying yes to "HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued a tax code (P6) for this employee". Now it doesn't even give me the warning because my tax code is now two years out of date, but I still can't change it without having to answer the same question untruthfully. Were you able do so via some other means?

[alphadog]

Hi nozmeister. Yes, I've got the latest software and have selected the new tax year...

I recently updated my version of HMRC's RTI software. Apparently everyone has to (as indeed you have) because auto updates don't cut the mustard.

When I tried submitting my first salary payment for the current tax year (using the new software), I got a warning that my tax code was the default emergency tax code for the previous year. I duly updated it to the current year's tax code and submitted it without any problems.

[nozmeister]

Have you the latest RTI software?

[ittony]

Have you changed the RTI software to the new tax year?

It gives an option to change the tax code as you will have received notification through P9X.

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload.../P9X_2015_.pdf

Hi nozmeister. Yes, I've got the latest software and have selected the new tax year, but the only place I can find to change the tax code is using the "Tax code change" link in the employee screen which presents me with the following options:

[ ] HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued a tax code (P6) for this employee, or, HMRC has not yet issued any tax codes (P6) for this employee but I have now received a P45 part 3 from this employee.

[ ] I have not received anything from either HMRC, or, this employee or I have now received a P45 part 3 from this employee, but in the meantime HMRC has already issued a tax code (P6) for this employee.

I can't truthfully opt for the former, and selecting the latter results in: "No further action is required. You will now be re-directed to the 'Employer database'. Thank you.", with no change to the tax code made.

Is there another way of doing it I'm missing?

[ittony]

Contact HMRC as an individual, not in your company name, and request an updated tax code. They should send it to you, and send a P6 to your company address or via online notification.

in the meantime log onto the HMRC portal as yourself and your company and check your notifications to make sure they ant lurking in there somewhere.

Thanks Dave. I am trying to contact HMRC in a parallel line of attack, but it's proving difficult to get to speak with a human being at the moment, no option to hold for one even, just an automated "all our operators are busy, sorry about that, cheerio."

Good idea on checking the online portal for any electronic notices, but unfortunately the coding notices sections are empty on both the employers and employees portals. I assume they just don't send them out for employee on the standard tax code, and rely on the employers just bumping them up each year according to the guidance on the P9X document. There just doesn't appear to be any way of acting on that guidance using their own PAYE software.

[nozmeister]

Have you changed the RTI software to the new tax year?

It gives an option to change the tax code as you will have received notification through P9X.

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload.../P9X_2015_.pdf

[DaveB]

The RTI Basic PAYE Tools software Change Tax Code screen will only let me update my tax code if I have received a P6 tax code notice, and I have therefore been stuck on 944L since 2013. What am I supposed to do?

Contact HMRC as an individual, not in your company name, and request an updated tax code. They should send it to you, and send a P6 to your company address or via online notification.

in the meantime log onto the HMRC portal as yourself and your company and check your notifications to make sure they ant lurking in there somewhere.

[ittony]

The RTI Basic PAYE Tools software Change Tax Code screen will only let me update my tax code if I have received a P6 tax code notice, and I have therefore been stuck on 944L since 2013. What am I supposed to do?