COM61060 - CT online services: COTAX view L & P: online support available

This subject is presented as follows

General

Each page of COTAX View L & P provides access to a general help file from the ‘Help’ entry displayed on the far right hand side of the blue title line immediately below the ‘Inland Revenue’ logo. Selecting ‘Help’ brings up a new window containing an alphabetical glossary of all of the help items provided.

Context sensitive help is also available on the part of the service in use, by selecting the ‘Help’ icon displayed next to the entry or field shown on the screen.

Both external registered customers and HMRC staff using the service can contact a business helpdesk for further assistance. The helpdesk information provided is appropriate to the category of user.

Top of page

External Registered Customers

While connected to the service, a ‘contact the helpdesk’ hyperlink is available at the foot of each page.

When the hyperlink is selected, the telephone number 0845 6055999 is displayed.

• If the problem relates to passwords or use of the Internet, the customer can obtain help from the HMRC Online Services helpdesk. This is a specialist unit dealing with

• Problems relating to the software giving access to the system

But

• Not enquiries relating to Corporation Tax or the COTAX system

For problems relating to Corporation Tax or the COTAX system, the helpdesk will hand the call on to the appropriate office responsible for CT processing.

Note: As the general helpdesk have view only access to COTAX, there are no circumstances in which they can make changes to a company record.

Top of page

HM Revenue & Customs Staff

Just like external customers, HM Revenue & Customs staff are provided with a ‘contact the helpdesk’ hyperlink available at the foot of each View L & P page. This shows the telephone number of the COTAX helpdesk in Telford(This text has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000).

Staff should contact the number displayed if

• There appear to be discrepancies between the information in COTAX View L & P and the equivalent VPPD (View Payment and Posting Details) screens

Or

• Further information is required on the operation of the service

Since staff are allocated access to COTAX View L & P by the icon in the ‘companies’ folder in the ‘My Services’ tab in ‘My Workplace’ toolbar, any access problems are handled by the IT Service Centre. It follows that there is no need to refer any query to the HMRC Online Services helpdesk.

For a list of functions to use in particular situations, see COM61012.