BeeHive > BeeLines > 2008 > May > HMRC Pensions Tax Simplification Newsletter #33
HMRC Pensions Tax Simplification Newsletter #33
Well, what a week! I suppose it had to happen sooner or later, but the crash of our servers that led to the BeeHive being off the air for a whole week meant that for the first time since way back in 2003 we’ve had nine consecutive days with no new BeeLines. I know you’ll all think I had a week off and how lucky’s that what with it being a mini-heatwave and everything, but that’s not the way it was. To start with we simply didn’t know how long the problem was going to take to fix so I just kept writing BeeLines all week as usual in the hope that some would go out.
As you know, that didn’t happen. In the end we had a team of people working 24 hours a day to fix things (thanks guys) so we could once again publish new content and they finished that mammoth task late last night at the end of the weekend. We’re hoping all will be well, but we’ve got our fingers crossed and we’re touching wood all the time too; just in case!
I’ve had a quick look through the five BeeLines that didn’t get published last week and I’ve decided they were time-based in the main and so I’m not going to bother you with them this week. Plenty happened last week; a week is a hell of a long time in pensions these days, and I want to just pick up on the here and now and get back to business as usual and not worry too much about the lost week. (Maybe we’ll publish them on the site one day soon and anyone who wants to look back at the week that never was can do that if they like. I’ll see how things develop this week and let you know if we’re confident enough to do that.)
The one thing that did happen last week that I do want to kick off this BeeLine with, however, was the HMRC people put out the latest edition of their Pensions Tax Simplification Newsletter. They’re up to issue number 33 already and I know for a fact that many of you rely on the BeeHive to keep you up to date with them. You can get a copy of issue number 33 by clicking on the link here if you want: Pensions Tax Simplification Newsletter 33
The issue itself doesn’t contain anything too earth shattering, but I know many of you are collecting the whole set, so you’ll want to download this one too. This issue contains a reminder to pension scheme administrators about the penalties set out in the Tax Avoidance Schemes Regulations 2006 and some new guidance around regulation following changes in this year’s Finance Bill. Interestingly, there is also a sort of apology for a glitch in the electronic filing system which just goes to show, I guess, that computer systems everywhere are always on a knife edge and it’s not just the BeeHive that experiences glitches.
Finally, and probably more importantly, the HMRC helpline number has been changed. The new Pension Schemes Services helpline is now 0845 600 2622 (for those of you who aren’t collecting the set of Newsletters and who therefore won’t download this latest issue). See, we’re still as thoughtful as ever.
Well, let’s hope you get to read this BeeLine and it’s not just another one that won’t see the light of day. If you do receive it, that’s great and it means we’re back on the road again. If you don’t, it’s pretty bad news and it means we’ve still got a bit more of the mountain to climb, but as you won’t have received it and you won’t be reading this, you won’t know that, will you?
19 May 2008
Source: www.hmrc.gov.uk
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