Who is HMRC fooling? In its consultation “Digital by Default” HMRC says that “Mandation of Corporation Tax on-line filing (from April 2011) has also been successful".  

Really? How was anyone in HMRC able to access the success or failure of the system, bearing in mind that the consultation document was issued in August 2011 and HMRC‟s systems were unable to accept CT Returns on-line for accounting periods ended after 31 March 2011 (if a profit was shown…) because of the change in the rate of CT from 1 April 2011.

Do note that: HMRC should have upgraded its computers in October 2011 taxpayers and agents should be able to try and get to grips with filing online from now. HMRC is offering a soft landing over iXBRL tagging for two years because it is anything but a success: there is no way that ordinary mortals can hand code iXBRL, and HMRC has set minumum tagging requirements that leave pages such as that detailed P & L untagged, Those who have been trying to file claim that it is difficult to tell what HMRC wants.

Source: as noted by the Association of Taxation Technicians in its response to HMRC’s consultation, Digital by Default.

Further reading:

Digital by Default? Tax bodies say “No thanks”