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Incorrect notices storm hits nationals

HM Revenue & Custom’s helpline is facing meltdown following publication of its number in the Daily Mail, as the incorrect notices fiasco started to hit employees in the pocket.

The big-selling tabloid has received numerous calls by upset readers, including a significant number of pensioners, and ran the story as its lead item on the in its 12-page personal finance section on 17 February. Personal Finance editor Tony Hazell said in his comment: ‘We have a copy of a letter from a woman who received a BR code out of the blue and lost £1,100 from her January wage packet, sending her overdrawn and living in fear that her direct debits will be bounced.

The story, headlined ‘Taxman hid truth about code chaos’ quoted Philip Whiteley, editor-in-chief of Payroll World, reporting on the problems with automation of HMRC systems.

Last month Payroll World broke the story of how the Revenue had known last September about technical problems in the centralisation of computer systems.

HMRC has been affected by similar computer glitches in the past, but in the case of bottlenecks in the online filing system in 2004 and 2005, while payroll managers were affected, the employee was not.

www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1251585/Taxman-hid-truth-ta.html