Computer upgrade causes problems for Inland Revenue

The Inland Revenue has admitted that a computer system utilised to pursue unpaid taxes is still not Y2K compliant and is already causing problems.
New software was due to be installed this month. However, it is estimated that this will not be ready now until the of November, leaving 23 days for contingency testing.

According to Computing Magazine, one firm was mistakenly threatened with bailiffs because the Inland Revenue was unable to see that they had paid their taxes.

A letter of apology sent to the firm stated: "I cannot give details of our Year 2000 measures and progress as you will appreciate that this is confidential, Government-sensitive information. But I can say that the above measures are causing extreme problems within the Inland Revenue, particularly this office, and have been for several weeks now."

Taskforce 2000, the independent millennium watchdog, has said that too many government bodies are implementing new systems at the same time that they are attempting to deal with specific problems posed by the year 2000. Over the past few months a series of inadequate change management programmes have been exposed to public scrutiny.

Julie Crisp