RTI reporting deadline may be extended further for micro employers

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is seeking to extend the temporary relaxation of the real-time information (RTI) reporting deadline for micro employers (those with fewer than 50 employees), from October 2013 until April 2014.

The proposed extension means that organisations will not be required to change their pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) approach halfway through the tax year.

HMRC has reported that more than 1.4 million employer PAYE schemes are using the RTI reporting system.

It also revealed that more than 83% of small to medium-sized employers and 77% of micro employers have already started to report PAYE in real time, and that information about 44.5 million payments made to employees between 6 April and 5 May have been successfully reported online to HMRC.

David Gauke, exchequer secretary to the Treasury, said: “The transition is going well, and the vast majority of employers are now reporting their PAYE information in real time, meaning that HMRC’s records are becoming more accurate and up to date.”