Debt collection agency calling us.

[Du1point8]

Strange one this, just had a call off a debt collection agency about corporation tax owed for £100.

They called my business partner on their personal number which is strange as their number is not on any correspondence on the website or held anywhere online, its the landline and my number.

Apparently we owe £100 for corporation tax in 2013, this is strange as we ran a loss of £5,000+ for that year and made no profit, even got a rebate of £103 off HMRC.

2014 we ran a loss of £10k and got back £300 off HMRC.

I have put a call into my accountant to see what it could be, but the only thing is smacks of is that my accountant might have put the details in late and its a fine (HMRC seem to do £100 as the norm).

I told the debt collection agency to talk to my accountant and we will do the same as all HMRC letters go to him.

Strange that they are ringing us now and has been no mention of this before now.

[Simpo Two]

Do HMRC use debt collection agencies?

[Du1point8]

Simpo Two said:

Do HMRC use debt collection agencies?

To be honest Im not sure... I thought that they would just threaten us with not being able to trade if we owed them money, rather than use a debt collection agency.

[condor]

Sounds like it could be a scam - best thing is to check with your accountant.

[Du1point8]

condor said:

Sounds like it could be a scam - best thing is to check with your accountant.

They caught me on the wrong morning... I took the phone off my business partner when they asked them to pay over the phone now... I asked them outright what it was for, they said Corp tax and could say no more.

I told them that they had better talk to my accountant as we had a rebate that year, they asked how would I like to pay, then it got a little heated when I said which bit about an official rebate off HMRC for Corp tax and them saying that I owed Corp tax did they not understand.

They refused to explain the reason behind the debt, so I told them there was no point continuing the conversation because I could say to them they owed me £1000 and how would he like to pay, he said there was no proof they owed them and it was ridiculous I could use that analogy, I said thats exactly what they have done ringing my business partner who has not divulged their phone number anywhere online and yet you ring them demanding the same.

Accountant has already been rang and will get back to me asap.

[Simpo Two]

Sounds very dodgy to me. A debt collection agency wouldn't know any details of the case other than the amount owed, but I doubt HMRC operate like that. It would have been interesting to get all the details of where it was supposed to be paid to though...

[Troubleatmill]

HMRC can use debt collection agencies.

https://www.gov.uk/if-you-dont-pay-your-tax-bill/d...

3. Debt collection agencies
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can collect your debt through a debt collection agency.

Your debt may be sent to a private debt collection agency who will collect the debt on HMRC’s behalf. The agency will write to you and you should pay them directly.


Are they one of this lot?


Debt collection agencies used by HMRC are:

Advantis Credit Ltd
Akinika Debt Recovery Ltd
Apex Credit Management Ltd
Bluestone Credit Management Ltd
CCS Collect (also known as Commercial Collection Services Ltd)
dlc (formerly Direct Legal and Collections)
Drydensfairfax Solicitors
Equita Ltd
1st Locate (trading as LCS)
Fredrickson International Ltd
Past Due Credit Solutions (PDCS)
Rossendales Ltd

[Du1point8]

Troubleatmill said:

HMRC can use debt collection agencies.

https://www.gov.uk/if-you-dont-pay-your-tax-bill/d...

3. Debt collection agencies
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can collect your debt through a debt collection agency.

Your debt may be sent to a private debt collection agency who will collect the debt on HMRC’s behalf. The agency will write to you and you should pay them directly.


Are they one of this lot?


Debt collection agencies used by HMRC are:

Advantis Credit Ltd
Akinika Debt Recovery Ltd
Apex Credit Management Ltd
Bluestone Credit Management Ltd
CCS Collect (also known as Commercial Collection Services Ltd)
dlc (formerly Direct Legal and Collections)
Drydensfairfax Solicitors
Equita Ltd
1st Locate (trading as LCS)
Fredrickson International Ltd
Past Due Credit Solutions (PDCS)
Rossendales Ltd

They should write to me... In that case my accountant has told me nothing and ignored any reminder (they are on the registered address) and therefore the accountant is going to get a bking.

Mine should be in work in 30 minutes to tell me what is happening.

[eps]

Sounds like BS to me.

[Simpo Two]

£100... it's not a fine for late filing is it?

[richardxjr]

Scam.


Blow a whistle down the line if they call again.

[Sharted]

Sounds unlikely.

Surely HMRC would have written a number of times before instructing an agency.

If you owed £100 and the agency want £100 where is their profit?

[simoid]

Simpo Two said:

£100... it's not a fine for late filing is it?

Smells like a scam, and they want you to think you're accountant has missed a letter, late payment, etc

[Du1point8]

Result...

Its a HMRC fk up... The figures we put in for 2013 are correct and we did get the correct rebate.

HMRC however haven't recorded them properly, someone has decided to issue a late fee for 2013, despite them already thanking us for sending it in on time online and begrudgingly have to give us money back.

(I know not how this happens, that online submitting has issues, they accept it been sent, then fine people as they think its not been sent in yet)

Accountant now has the fun task of telling debt agency to sod off, in addition to bk them as to why they are chasing the directors when they know full well he is down as the finance contact for our company and he should be contacted first.

[condor]

At least you know it was a genuine debt collection agency now and the matter will be resolved.
Although I'm surprised that you didn't get any letters before they rang you.

[Du1point8]

condor said:

At least you know it was a genuine debt collection agency now and the matter will be resolved.
Although I'm surprised that you didn't get any letters before they rang you.

Im not supposed to get letters, the letters go to my accountant, all financial docs go to him (HMRC/Companies house/etc) as he is the registered address of the company.

Makes it so much easier than having to resend/scan/fax any letters to him.

So technically the debt collects should have rang him first.

[simoid]

A speedy HMRC resolution in the last days of January.

Incredible!

[Simpo Two]

I'll just award myself a gold cup

[simoid]

Simpo Two said:

I'll just award myself a gold cup

Not so fast...

Du1point8 in the OP said:

...the only thing is smacks of is that my accountant might have put the details in late and its a fine (HMRC seem to do £100 as the norm).

Sorry to pee in your corn flakes

[bad company]

Great result. Does that mean that you will have more £'s to spend on recruitment?


http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...