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 āCorrect Error on Returnā in CISR, however, there is no confirmation box or message displayed on screen to confirm that it has been sent.
The āunresolved multiple returns for the same scheme and periodā window provides you with a list of the āeffectiveā return and any number of subsequent āmultipleā returns.
You can only correct an error on an effective return. So, if an error needs to be corrected on a āmultipleā return it needs to be changed to an āeffectiveā return first.
You will note that the āCorrect Error on Returnā 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 āIdentify Customerā window should all be left blank. This will allow direct access to the āCorrect Error on Returnā button from the āIdentify Customerā 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 āCorrect Error on Returnā button goes grey as it is no longer āliveā.
To get to the stage of making a āmultipleā return āeffectiveā, proceed as follows.
- At the āIdentify Customerā window enter either the
- UTR,
or
- Accounts office reference
- Alternatively, select the āFind Individualā or āFind schemeā button
- Or you can bypass the authentication window by simply selecting āinternal enquiryā under ācontactā. This will take you directly to the CIS Main Menu. Go to step 8 below.
- Use the drop-down menu under āContactā 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 āinternal enquiryā, you will skip the authentication stage. Selecting āOKā will take you to the CIS main menu. Proceed to step 8 below.
- If you need to authenticate, use the drop-down menu under āChannelā 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.
- Selecting āOKā will take you to the authenticate window.
- Authenticate the caller. Again, selecting āOKā will take you to the CIS main menu.
- Select āCorrect Return Errorā, or, if the contractor has more than one scheme, check the box to the immediate left of the appropriate scheme, then āCorrect Return Errorā.
- You will now be at the āIdentify Required Returnā 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 āOKā.
- Assuming there are unresolved multiple returns for the same scheme and period, you will now be in a window with the same heading.
- 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.
- Select the āmultipleā return you wish to resolve then scroll down to the āactionā drop-down menu at the bottom of the page. There are four options.
- Make effective
- Merge
- Unmatch, and
- Discard.
Choose āMake effectiveā. (the āmultipleā then becomes the āeffective return and the previous āeffectiveā return becomes āsupersededā), then select āOKā. This will take you to the āreturn detailsā 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.
- The āreturn detailsā window shows the return that has now been found for amendment. Having checked the details to establish what needs to be revised, select ācontinue amendmentā from the drop-down menu at the bottom of the window. Selecting āOKā will take you to the āFind verified subcontractorā window.
- 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 āsubcontractor detailsā and āpayment detailsā 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.
- Make any corrections the contractor wishes you to make and select āUpdateā. This will add the amended details to the list of subcontractors on the return. Repeat as necessary.
Note: An exclamation mark (ā!ā) 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.
- When you are content with the corrections made, select āCorrection Completedā.
- The next window will give you the message āby selecting OK a new version of the return data will be created and processedā. 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 āOKā 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 āmergeā 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 āeffectiveā return, or that we would be better off correcting the āeffectiveā return rather than trying to deduce what the multiple is telling us, we would use ādiscardā.
It is a means to inform both the system and users who are looking at the schemeās 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 āconcludedā 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 āmergeā at the āidentify required returnā window, the results will be:
- A new return match is made (match 4) with an āeffectiveā 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 āmultipleā) is now described as āresolvedā. Users will not be able to update this return even though it can still be viewed.
- Match 2 will now be āsupersededā. Again, users will not be able to update this return either even though it can still be viewed.