PAYE RTI News
HMRC puts out the call for volunteer employers
November 23, 2011
HMRC today announced it is looking for 1,300 more employers to join the 300 it has already lined up for the first phase of its RTI pilot, starting in April 2012. These additional 1,300 employers will join the second phase of HMRC’s RTI pilot set for July 2012.
Volunteer employers look set to be recruited by payroll software providers, who are working closely with HMRC to identify employers willing to join RTI ahead of time by participating in the pilot. Stephen Banyard, HMRC’s Acting Director General for personal tax said, “Any software developer interested in joining the pilot will need to register their interest by 30 November.”
There are no arrangements for employers to volunteer directly. The RTI pilot relies on software providers to provide “appropriate support mechanisms for your volunteer employers”, what has been described as ‘hand-holding’
HMRC intends to invite 250,000 volunteer employers to join the third and final phase of its RTI pilot between November 2012 and April 2013 when RTI becomes mandatory, but HMRC does not say if this number of employers will be recruited directly or whether HMRC will continue to rely on its payroll software partners.