HM Revenue & Customs has launched a new campaign aimed at reducing the number of employers who include incorrect or dummy information in their employer returns.
Every year, thousands of returns containing dummy, incomplete or inaccurate information are submitted to the Revenue.
The inaccuracies relate to the personal details of employees, including their names, dates of birth and national insurance numbers.
A recent study of employer returns revealed that 824 employees had been allocated the surname ‘Unknown’, while 128 had been recorded as Mr, Ms or Mrs Dummy.
In addition, according to the dates of birth listed on the returns, 40 of the employees would be aged over 200. Many employees also had their forenames and surnames swapped around, or initials in the place of their first names.
HMRC is urging employers to ensure that the information they provide is accurate and complete, and has launched an online video highlighting the consequences of inaccurate returns for both employers and employees.
Jim Harr of HMRC commented, ‘It’s really important that employers get their employees’ information right, so that HMRC can match it to the right tax codes. Otherwise, it can lead to more contact from staff, trying to sort out their tax, and from HMRC, trying to sort out the data issues’.