Certificate expired so couldn't file - hit with €1250 surcharge

Nwm2 · 03-12-2012 11:58PM #1

So I went to file my return on-line a few days before the deadline. Couldn't log in - certificate had expired.

Emailed Revenue, they said they had to go through the whole process again. Took 2 weeks before I could file.

I had overpaid by about €400 (I am primarily PAYE but a couple of things require the on-line filing), but that is now about a €850 deficit due to the surcharge of about €1250 for late filing.

Harsh I feel: #1 because I couldn't file because of a system issue, and #2 because I didn't actually owe anything.

Any comeback for me? Thanks

Itchianus · 04-12-2012 12:23AM

Nwm2 wrote: »

So I went to file my return on-line a few days before the deadline. Couldn't log in - certificate had expired.

Emailed Revenue, they said they had to go through the whole process again. Took 2 weeks before I could file.

I had overpaid by about €400 (I am primarily PAYE but a couple of things require the on-line filing), but that is now about a €850 deficit due to the surcharge of about €1250 for late filing.

Harsh I feel: #1 because I couldn't file because of a system issue, and #2 because I didn't actually owe anything.

Any comeback for me? Thanks

You should get in contact with the ROS liaison officer in your District tax office, and explain the position.

Presumably you'll have a copy of your correspondence to show them in support of the assertion that you would have filed on time but for the certificate issue, and it should also be apparent that you filed as soon as possible upon resolving it.

Solair · 04-12-2012 12:30AM

They normally send out an email well ahead of the certificate expiry date to whatever email address you have registered.

That being said, I had huge issues with it this year due problems with Java.
They should move to a more modern system. I don't see why it's so ridiculously complicated.

I mean it's less security sensitive than online banking, yet online banking systems are MUCH more user friendly.

Also, I found doubt form 11 online for the first time baffling.
I was left with no idea how to calculate preliminary tax.

They really need to make the whole self assessment thing a lot more straightforward.

You should be able to fill in the details, get the calculation of how much you owe and a preliminary tax calculation too.

I did accounting at university and I still find it a horrible system to deal with!

Nwm2 · 04-12-2012 12:48AM

Itchianus wrote: »

You should get in contact with the ROS liaison officer in your District tax office, and explain the position.

Presumably you'll have a copy of your correspondence to show them in support of the assertion that you would have filed on time but for the certificate issue, and it should also be apparent that you filed as soon as possible upon resolving it.

Will do this, thanks. Good thing I emailed them. I also sent them a follow up when it didn't arrive after a few days.

Nwm2 · 04-12-2012 12:53AM

Solair wrote: »

They normally send out an email well ahead of the certificate expiry date to whatever email address you have

I was wondering about this seemingly fatal flaw so based on what you said, I searched and there was an email from October 2010 about renewal. Since I was getting the return done by an accountant at the time I paid no attention to it. That probably shafts me!

Itchianus · 04-12-2012 01:19AM

Nwm2 wrote: »

I was wondering about this seemingly fatal flaw so based on what you said, I searched and there was an email from October 2010 about renewal. Since I was getting the return done by an accountant at the time I paid no attention to it. That probably shafts me!

Well don't tell THEM that! Just do what I've told you and as long as there was no undue delay in you filing your return once you got your ROS cert sorted I doubt you'll have a problem.

The simple reason being, you tried to file your return prior to the deadline, discovered you had a problem with the interface they were providing, and due to a delay at their end, were unable to get it resolved before the deadline. Which makes it Revenue's fault that you missed the deadline - that is your line of reasoning, just be polite yet firm in putting it across, it's all just an unfortunate sequence of events, and it would be very unfair for you to have to bear the cost of Revenue's ROS support being inundated around deadline time...

Solair · 04-12-2012 12:04PM

contact the ROS helpdesk, not the general revenue line.

The details are on the website.

In my experience of them, they're a very helpful bunch. So, don't hestiate to get in touch. The general helplines won't necessarily have all that much information about ROS.

Itchianus · 04-12-2012 07:53PM

Solair wrote: »

contact the ROS helpdesk, not the general revenue line.

The details are on the website.

In my experience of them, they're a very helpful bunch. So, don't hestiate to get in touch. The general helplines won't necessarily have all that much information about ROS.

This is not a ROS helpdesk issue - the assessment is issued by the District and it's with them you need to deal. The ROS liaison officer in your District is the relevant person.

Alan Shore · 04-12-2012 10:44PM

A €1,250 surcharge is based on a liability of €25k, did you have a liability of €25k?

srsly78 · 05-12-2012 11:24AM

Solair wrote: »

That being said, I had huge issues with it this year due problems with Java.
They should move to a more modern system. I don't see why it's so ridiculously complicated.

Ros IS a modern system. Using crypto certificates etc is NORMAL for these kind of secure transactions. The Java problems were with your computer, not with ROS.

Online banking that does uses weaker cryptography is not properly secure, lots of people get hacked every year but the banks don't like to advertise this fact.

06-12-2012 10:13AM

srsly78 wrote: »

Ros IS a modern system. Using crypto certificates etc is NORMAL for these kind of secure transactions. The Java problems were with your computer, not with ROS..

:eek:
10 years ago it was modern. It has bugs which they are not interested in fixing, such as not being able to install a new certificates with modern versions of Internet Explorer. Plus the fact that it requires the Java Run Time be installed on your computer opens it to a whole host nasties.

srsly78 · 06-12-2012 10:46AM

Tow wrote: »

:eek:
10 years ago it was modern. It has bugs which they are not interested in fixing, such as not being able to install a new certificates with modern versions of Internet Explorer. Plus the fact that it requires the Java Run Time be installed on your computer opens it to a whole host nasties.

Absolute tripe. All software has bugs. Yes even Java, but the entire world still uses it!

ROS works fine for me on Chrome, why are you even using IE?

ROS is constantly being improved, I have seen lots of bugfixes and new features added. Have you ever actually reported bugs to them? I have, and they acted on the reports. You may be surprised to hear that here in Ireland we actually have a much more modern system than many other countries.#

And no I don't work for ROS, but I am a crypto engineer.

Alan Shore · 06-12-2012 08:42PM

@nwm2, did you have any luck getting the surcharge waived.

Certificate expired so couldn't file - hit with €1250 surcharge

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