ECSH112000 - Contact with customers: Secure comms

Secure comms are an acceptable method of communications with businesses during and after registration, alerting businesses that there is a message to be viewed, or an action to undertake, in a secure way. When a secure comm is generated, an email is sent to the business, using the email address provided by it, informing it that there is a message in its government gateway account. The business must log on to its government gateway account to view the message. 

It is important that the business takes the action specified as the failure to do so could result in a sanction being imposedFor example, if a business is sent a notice via secure comms informing it of its failure to pay the annual fee and does not take the necessary corrective action specified in that secure comms, its registration can be automatically cancelled. By issuing notices via secure comms, the notice is considered to be served on the business, unless we become aware that the email has bounced back. For more information on auto cancellations see ECSH 48075. 

Secure comms are generated by authorisations in order to provide businesses with updates: examples can include updates on their registration applications, notifying them when their annual supervision fee is due, and requests for further information or evidence in relation to their application.  

Normally we provide businesses with 21 days to respond to secure comms requesting further information, unless there is a specific need for a shorter deadline.  

Secure comms are not used for compliance interventions or other HMRC communications to businesses 

Some secure comms are manually generated and there are different templates for the various requests for further information. The templates are available here.  The SWI for creating secure comms is available here.  

There are also automatic secure comms – these are used for when businesses need to pay their annual supervision fee, such as the “Fee Outstanding” secure comm. These are automatically generated and do not need to be manually created.