CISR66630 - Monthly returns: errors on returns: unresolved multiple returns for the same scheme and period

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Background Note

Under Regulation 4 SI2005/2045 a contractor is required to make only one monthly return (CIS300) which contains all of the information relating to payments made to subcontractors during that particular filing month. It is not acceptable for a contractor to file several contractor returns which together compile the total of the payments made to subcontractors during that month.

Where exceptionally more than one return is received from a contractor for a particular scheme and covering the same period, a CIS323G letter will be sent to the contractor. The text of this can be found at CISR64040. This form will be issued by the operator being given a prompt when using the function 鈥淐orrect Error on Return鈥� in CISR, however, there is no confirmation box or message displayed on screen to confirm that it has been sent.

The 鈥榰nresolved multiple returns for the same scheme and period鈥� window provides you with a list of the 鈥榚ffective鈥� return and any number of subsequent 鈥榤ultiple鈥� returns.

You can only correct an error on an effective return. So, if an error needs to be corrected on a 鈥榤ultiple鈥� return it needs to be changed to an 鈥榚ffective鈥� return first.

You will note that the 鈥楥orrect Error on Return鈥� button is also located on the Identify Customer window. This should only be used by CIS Unit staff when handling Work Items and will be their main route in to this function as the work item will be the usual prompt for this action.

Please note that if it is not necessary to authenticate the customer, the UTR or Accounts Office references found in the 鈥業dentify Customer鈥� window should all be left blank. This will allow direct access to the 鈥楥orrect Error on Return鈥� button from the 鈥業dentify Customer鈥� window. By contrast, as soon as either of these references is entered, you commit yourself to authenticating the customer concerned. This is why, once the references have been input, the 鈥楥orrect Error on Return鈥� button goes grey as it is no longer 鈥榣ive鈥�.

To get to the stage of making a 鈥榤ultiple鈥� return 鈥榚ffective鈥�, proceed as follows.

  1. At the 鈥業dentify Customer鈥� window enter either the
  • UTR,

or

  • Accounts office reference
  1. Alternatively, select the 鈥楩ind Individual鈥� or 鈥楩ind scheme鈥� button
  2. Or you can bypass the authentication window by simply selecting 鈥榠nternal enquiry鈥� under 鈥榗ontact鈥�. This will take you directly to the CIS Main Menu. Go to step 8 below.
  3. Use the drop-down menu under 鈥楥ontact鈥� to select who is contacting you about the error. This is a mandatory field. There are four options:
  • Customer
  • Agent
  • Capacitor
  • Third Party, or
  • Internal enquiry

Select one.

If you select one of the first three, you will need to authenticate the caller. Proceed to step 5 below.

If you select 鈥榠nternal enquiry鈥�, you will skip the authentication stage. Selecting 鈥極K鈥� will take you to the CIS main menu. Proceed to step 8 below.

  1. If you need to authenticate, use the drop-down menu under 鈥楥hannel鈥� to select by which method you have been contacted. This is also a mandatory field. Again, there are four options:
  • Phone (inbound)
  • Phone (outbound)
  • Paper, or
  • Face to face

Select one.

  1. Selecting 鈥極K鈥� will take you to the authenticate window.
  2. Authenticate the caller. Again, selecting 鈥極K鈥� will take you to the CIS main menu.
  3. Select 鈥楥orrect Return Error鈥�, or, if the contractor has more than one scheme, check the box to the immediate left of the appropriate scheme, then 鈥楥orrect Return Error鈥�.
  4. You will now be at the 鈥業dentify Required Return鈥� window. The relevant AO reference should already be pre-populated but if you got here from step 3, you will need to enter the AO reference. Enter the period of the return you need to amend in the format MM/YYYY then select 鈥極K鈥�.
  5. Assuming there are unresolved multiple returns for the same scheme and period, you will now be in a window with the same heading.
  6. The window lists all returns found with their match number. (Remember, every time a return is processed for the same scheme and period a different match number is allocated to it. This helps you to keep track of any changes made to any of the returns).The window also shows the current status of the return and the channel by which it was sent to HMRC.
  7. Select the 鈥榤ultiple鈥� return you wish to resolve then scroll down to the 鈥榓ction鈥� drop-down menu at the bottom of the page. There are four options.
  • Make effective
  • Merge
  • Unmatch, and
  • Discard.

Choose 鈥楳ake effective鈥�. (the 鈥榤ultiple鈥� then becomes the 鈥榚ffective return and the previous 鈥榚ffective鈥� return becomes 鈥榮uperseded鈥�), then select 鈥極K鈥�. This will take you to the 鈥榬eturn details鈥� window where you will find that the multiple you have just made effective is shown as the return to be amended.

See the footnote after step17 below for an explanation of the other options here.

  1. The 鈥榬eturn details鈥� window shows the return that has now been found for amendment. Having checked the details to establish what needs to be revised, select 鈥榗ontinue amendment鈥� from the drop-down menu at the bottom of the window. Selecting 鈥極K鈥� will take you to the 鈥楩ind verified subcontractor鈥� window.
  2. A list of the payments to subcontractors as detailed on the recently made effective and captured return is provided. Selecting any part of the relevant line will automatically populate the 鈥榮ubcontractor details鈥� and 鈥榩ayment details鈥� boxes. Some lines may be blank and marked with an asterisk (*). This means that the information was missing from the return when it was processed.
  3. Make any corrections the contractor wishes you to make and select 鈥楿pdate鈥�. This will add the amended details to the list of subcontractors on the return. Repeat as necessary.

Note: An exclamation mark (鈥�!鈥�) to the left of any entries from the captured return suggests that something is either incorrect or was unclear. Ensure that these entries are corrected as well.

  1. When you are content with the corrections made, select 鈥楥orrection Completed鈥�.
  2. The next window will give you the message 鈥榖y selecting OK a new version of the return data will be created and processed鈥�. Use the drop-down menu to select the reason for the amendment. There are five options.
  • Telephone call
  • Letter
  • Manual capture correspondence
  • Return continuation sheet or
  • Work item (only people with the role of CIS exception handler should select this)

Selecting 鈥極K鈥� will take you back to the CIS main menu.

Step 12 options

Make effective - as set out in step 12 above.

Merge - use this where the multiple return was intended to supplement the effective return (that is, the contractor tells us that they missed a payment off the effective return and sent us a second return containing the omission - see the example scenario at CISR66020.

By selecting 鈥榤erge鈥� the system will copy the subcontractor entries from the multiple to the effective return automatically. You can only ever merge a multiple or effective return. You cannot merge two multiples, but you can merge a second multiple into a return made effective by merging a multiple with an original effective.

Unmatch - in the unlikely event that a contractor denies all knowledge of a multiple, it is unmatched from his scheme and will create an unmatched work item (WI). It will then be for the CIS Unit at Shipley to try and find out to whom the return actually belongs. This is likely to be a very seldom-used scenario.

Discard - where the contractor tells us that a multiple return is wrong, or that the multiple is in fact an identical duplicate of the original 鈥榚ffective鈥� return, or that we would be better off correcting the 鈥榚ffective鈥� return rather than trying to deduce what the multiple is telling us, we would use 鈥榙iscard鈥�.

It is a means to inform both the system and users who are looking at the scheme鈥檚 returns that this return (which is now discarded) was not an effective return for the scheme and period in question. It informs us that the decision has been made that it contains no information that needs to be reflected in the effective return.

You may also see the status of a return described as 鈥榗oncluded鈥� This means that the Scheme is either ceased, dormant, cancelled or is not an XP or PSC scheme for the period covered by the return.

Resolved - say, for example, a contractor has already submitted a return for a scheme and period (match number 1), has subsequently corrected this with another return for the same scheme and period (match number 2) and has now submitted a third return (match number 3), again for the same scheme and period with the advice that this needs to be merged with the currently effective return.

Selecting 鈥榤erge鈥� at the 鈥榠dentify required return鈥� window, the results will be:

  • A new return match is made (match 4) with an 鈥榚ffective鈥� status. This return combines all subcontractor entries from matches 2 and 3. Match 4 now has a history which will show return traces back to matches 2 and 3
  • Match 3 (previously a 鈥榤ultiple鈥�) is now described as 鈥榬esolved鈥�. Users will not be able to update this return even though it can still be viewed.
  • Match 2 will now be 鈥榮uperseded鈥�. Again, users will not be able to update this return either even though it can still be viewed.