Agent Services (formerly Agent Online Self Serve)

01 June 2016

Important information from HMRC about work it is doing this year, including giving agents access to digital tax accounts.

The following is an update from Toni Clark, head of digital agent engagement at HMRC:

‘I wish to advise you that Agent Online Self Serve (AOSS) has been renamed Agent Services (AS) and to provide an update on the service which you may wish to publicise to your members and enable answers to their queries.

‘In April 2015 AS launched a PAYE liabilities and payment private beta service. This gave agents the opportunity to cleanse their employer PAYE client lists, and view their clients’ PAYE accounting periods and payment history. A new agent landing page (homepage) was launched in October 2015 for agents using the beta service. This enabled agent access to view clients’ PAYE for employers’ accounts, and provided links to agent guidance and other services they could use. The PAYE liabilities and payments beta currently has over 2,700 users, with user satisfaction rates of around 80%. We continue to test and refine this service based on agent feedback.

‘AS has now refreshed key priorities for 2016/17 and the revised name better reflects the scope of what HMRC aims to deliver for agents within this programme of work.

‘The four priority delivery areas for AS are:

  • On-boarding – enable agents to access services and features contained in the personal and the business tax account using third party software which will give them the ability to see and do what their clients are able to do through their tax account.
  • Subscription – a process that will allow us to collect data about a tax agency as part of HMRC’s agent strategy.
  • Authorisation – enhance existing online agent authorisation (OAA).
  • Inbound secure messaging – work to understand what information agents want to send to HMRC and explore the digital solutions that can be used to cater for this requirement.

‘We will continue to keep professional bodies and agents informed on the development of AS through regular forums, digital meetings and the Tax Agent Blog.’

An HMRC Talking Points webinar on AS was held on 19 May. If you missed it, go to GOV.UK.