HMRC published their response to representations made, including by Chartered Accountants Ireland, to the PAYE Real Time Information project. This project, due to commence in 2012, is intended to reduce PAYE-related costs for employers and HMRC, and improve accuracy for individuals. The idea is to collect and transmit to HMRC information about tax and other deductions being made at payroll run time, rather than at the end of the tax year.

As a result of these consultations, HMRC are undertaking to maintain greater flexibility in the IT channels available to submit information electronically, to simplify some of the information requirements (for example in relation to holiday pay), and to have a more gradual phasing in period. The latter item was the major concern which Chartered Accountants Ireland expressed in our submission.

The full response document is available at:- http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageLibrary_ConsultationDocuments&propertyType=document&columns=1&id=HMCE_PROD1_031632 and the Chartered Accountants Ireland submission is available at:- https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/Global/TAX/Chartered%20Accountants%20Ireland%20PAYE%20Real%20Time%20submission.pdf.