Channel Advantage ensures payroll admin is not too taxing
Pictured (left to right): John Power, FD Channel Advantage; Tony Locock, Head of Policy and Customer migration at HMRC; and Sheila McPherson, Director of MLR Payroll Services at the recent kick off event at the DWP offices in London.
Channel Advantage is proud to be just one of just 300 companies in the UK who have been invited to partner with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in a new initiative called the Real Time Information (RTI) project.
The project has been around in one form or another for some time but Ian Duncan Smith, Minister at the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) fought hard during the last budget to obtain funds to see the project implemented.
It will have a profound effect on the Benefits system as the intention is to ensure that entering into work will always be more profitable for a benefit claimant. Channel Advantage was invited to participate as we have a complex and constantly evolving payroll.
So what will RTI mean?
The aim is that RTI will:
- make the PAYE process simpler and less burdensome for employers.
- reduce costs for HMRC and enable it to deal with non-compliance (such as late payment and debt collection) more effectively.
- support the payment of Universal Credits.
- make PAYE more accurate for individuals, over time reducing the number of bills and repayments sent after the end of the tax year.
- reduce Tax Credits error and fraud.
The current HMRC and DWP systems do not communicate and are not “real time” so very often benefit claimants and their advisors are not sure if its fiscally better to work or stay on benefits. Ian Duncan Smith is adamant that entering into work should always pay.
Channel Advantage will be tasked with providing regular feedback on the operation of the pilot scheme to HMRC. We will have access to NI Number validation tools and feed passport number information through to the UK Borders Agency for vetting as part of the employee set up process.
Finance Director, John Power comments: “This is the first major policy initiate where the Government have adopted a collaborative approach and invited employers to participate in and offer valuable feedback during the pilot phase. Once successful this approach will be used more widely across government and is to be welcomed.” Power adds, “ We are very excited about being part of a National initiative that will have a real impact on peoples' lives.”
Channel Advantage employs hundreds of full and part time staff throughout the year and always ensure that payment is made as swiftly as possible and all the necessary legal and tax processes are dealt with as efficiently as possible – leaving our quality staff to deliver a quality service back to our Clients.
If you’d like to find out about part-time or full-time work with us, please email your CV to booking@channel-advantage.co.uk, letting us know the locations you can work in and what type of work you are interested in.
