COMPASS is our Computerised Assessing program. It was introduced
in 1995 and the majority of the death estates handled in the Office
are dealt with under this system.
COMPASS consists of a large computer database, holding
various details about each estate including its net assets and the
assessments issued and paid.
COMPASS can produce records and assessments for most death
and settlement cases, but this is not possible in a number of
instances (
IHTM31014), when you will have to raise
assessments by the manual template (
IHTM31301).
Most records are set up on COMPASS by FACET. FACET will enter
full information about the Free Estate and will also set up and
capture such information as is available to them about other
chargeable components of the estate. They will raise and issue the
initial assessment(s) for entry A. However, it is the caseworker's
responsibility to ensure that details about the estate are correct
and to make any amendments necessary. It is particularly important
in Sample cases (
IHTM31002) that the full details of the
estate are accurately entered on COMPASS and details of all
lifetime gifts are recorded, even if the gifts do not bear any tax
themselves.
If necessary, you can set-up a death case (
IHTM31102) or a settlement case record
(
IHTM31241) through the "SP sign-on",
"data entry" program on your Windows desktop.
You can then access and update the case records through the
“case work” program. Navigate the screens in case work
through the various windows, tables, drop-down bars and
buttons.