UK residents - problems with HMRC pdfs

[Alwyn]

For some reason HMRC have restricted access to pdf forms to Acrobat users. What's more, even when I tried downloading Acrobat for Mac, I was unable to access the form.

A friend e-mailed the form to me but it came with the words "[WARNING : MESSAGE ENCRYPTED] [WARNING: MESSAGE ENCRYPTED]" in the subject and, yes you guessed, it couldn't be opened.

This is of course quite absurd but I hope somebody out there has a fix for this problem.

 

[chscag]

Moved here. Not a subject for our Lounge.

 

[louishen]

Could you provide a link to one of the PDFs

 

[MacGandalf]

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For some reason HMRC have restricted access to pdf forms to Acrobat users. What's more, even when I tried downloading Acrobat for Mac, I was unable to access the form.

A friend e-mailed the form to me but it came with the words "[WARNING : MESSAGE ENCRYPTED] [WARNING: MESSAGE ENCRYPTED]" in the subject and, yes you guessed, it couldn't be opened.

This is of course quite absurd but I hope somebody out there has a fix for this problem.

You don't have to have Acrobat Reader. I have just visited their site and downloaded a pdf file and it opened fine. I do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader onboard. Opened fine in Preview.

 

[Alwyn]

Link to pdf

Could you provide a link to one of the PDFs

ChV1 - Charities variations form

 

[Alwyn]

Problems downloading pdfs

You don't have to have Acrobat Reader. I have just visited their site and downloaded a pdf file and it opened fine. I do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader onboard. Opened fine in Preview.

I think this may have something to do with which Internet browser it's downloaded from. I use Firefox and I seem to remember having this problem before.

I've just tried with Safari and it still isn't working.

 

[MightyGem]

Looks like it might be a problem with just that particular form as it wouldn't work for me. Tried 5 or 6 other forms and they opened just fine.

 

[MacGandalf]

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I think this may have something to do with which Internet browser it's downloaded from. I use Firefox and I seem to remember having this problem before.

I've just tried with Safari and it still isn't working.

I use latest Firefox as well Alwyn. Using your download link I clicked on the appropriate form to download and save it to desktop. See my attached: -

 

[MacGandalf]

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Alwyn: Check Firefox > Preferences > Applications > scroll to Preview (application/pdf) I have mine set to "always ask"

If still no joy I would contact Firefox support.

 

[MacGandalf]

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Alwyn: Sorry, spoke to soon. Got the following when I opened the pdf: -

Might just be this form, got the same as Mighty Gem others opened fine.

 

[pendlewitch]

The form won't open for me and it gives the same message as MacGandalf.

I access the HMRC site every 3 months to do my VAT returns and have just done all the tax assessments and corporation tax things for year end and have never had a problem viewing/downloading or even paying them so I think it's the form that's the problem.

 

[mrplow]

For some reason HMRC have restricted access to pdf forms to Acrobat users. What's more, even when I tried downloading Acrobat for Mac, I was unable to access the form.

A friend e-mailed the form to me but it came with the words "[WARNING : MESSAGE ENCRYPTED] [WARNING: MESSAGE ENCRYPTED]" in the subject and, yes you guessed, it couldn't be opened.

This is of course quite absurd but I hope somebody out there has a fix for this problem.

Just for clarity - are you using Acrobat (i.e. the PDF authoring tool) or Acrobat Reader?

 

[MightyGem]

Just tried it on a Windows PC. Doesn't work their either. Gives me a message saying that the form is damaged and could not be repaired.

 

[Alwyn]

UK residents - problems with HMRC pdfs SOLVED

Somebody on the Carphone Warehouse Forum has found the solution that eluded me. It's an interactive form and can only be opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader. What I failed to do, as I didn't want to change my default pdf reader, was right click (on my mouse anyway) Open with Acrobat Reader and hey presto.

If you have a PC with another pdf reader as I do you'll have the same problem.