This time in '99: Hector offers online tax forms to SMEs

This is how the original story broke on 7 April, 1999:

The UK government's Inland Revenue department is working with Microsoft to offer small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) online tax returns.

Microsoft TaxSaver 99 incorporates the latest tax allowances and enables users to do instant tax calculations. Users can also store the majority of standard information for use the following year with the upgraded tax rates and allowances that could be introduced.

The government said the online forms were part of its Small Business Service scheme announced during last month's budget. The software package will be released next month.

UK high street bank, NatWest said it was in discussions with Microsoft to provide the technology for digital signatures.

Steve Delooze, senior executive of electronic markets at NatWest, said: "This is a logical step to our existing relationship and to find a way to put tax returns online. Currently you can fill in a form from a disk but it has to be printed off, signed and posted. The TaxSaver package needs a digital signature from a trusted third party to prove that you are bona fide. We already have the technology."

The deal marks the continuation of NatWest's relationship with Microsoft. Last year the bank launched a pilot scheme called I-forms to enable recently self-employed individuals to notify the bank online of their changed employment status.

Compaq, Barclays Bank and Racal have also been named as partners in the project, but further details were not available.