Help with e-filing tax returns in UK

[micks55]

I'm able to write a payroll application but I don't have a clue where to start investigating the needs for filing electronic tax returns to Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs via their "Government Gateway".

They do provide guidance documents but I'm not getting anywhere with them.

Any tips about how to go about this or about the basic principles would be appreciated as the project will be pointless without it.

Thanks in advance.
Mike

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

It would be very helpful if you at least provided links to the available documents.

It would be even more helpful if you pointed out the parts of these documents that were most relevant so that people here don't have to waste a lot of time reading a load of crap before they get to the good stuff.

 

[micks55]

Thanks to Uncle G for the reply. Point is that the stuff I have found looks like a mountain of crap that I doubt you would want to see. That's why I only asked for basic principals. I'll post links to the .pdf's if you wish.

I now know that the requirement is for EDI over a VAN so I am looking into that. Havn't yet found out anything though.

The basic idea that I can't get my head around is how I would go about coding Access to send an Electronic Data Interchange over a Value Added Network, and does this mean having a "conversation" with another computer.

Thanks again, Mike

 

[gemma-the-husky]

slightly different tack - i would be very careful about payroll - this is big boy's stuff, and you probably need a lot of public liability insurance in place - you will most likely spend ages doing something oyu could buy off the shelf fairly reasonably

 

[NigelShaw]

Hi,

i have looked at something similar with the EDI. if you contact the HMRC developer section, they will send you out a pack that contains a local EDI replicator. your output format should be if im right, xml. you generate the code for output to EDI and send it to your local replicator for testing. this will tell you if your Xml is giving the right or wrong information and tells you what the responses are.

i havent looked much at it as i am planning it in a future update but thats what i kind of read.

you can call them on 01274 534666

or
mail them

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ebu/rec_scheme.htm


Nigel

 

[micks55]

Thanks to gemma-the-husky. I still think I want to try.

Thanks to NigelShaw. Yes I did intend eventually calling them but before I do I'm trying to understand what would be required so that I don't annoy them. It looks like firstly an output file has to be in a very specitic format so no problem there and same applies to reading the return data. But then I guess that I have to actually send it and I don't yet know how to do this over what seems to be called a Value Added Network.

 

[micks55]

Update
Ok, I understand a lot more now. There's a lot of Java/xml involved and I have loads of info to wade through. Probably take months and still not sure about where I'm going but the journey looks like fun. I'll let you know. Thanks again, Mike