HMRC - IHT reference number delay - official complaint?
Discussion
I'm currently going through the probate process for my late father's estate.
With the assistance of my solicitor, the probate application has been submitted and the inheritance tax forms (IHT400 etc) have been filled in, to be sent once we've got a reference number.
As you may know, you can't be granted probate until at least part of the IHT has been paid and acknowledged by HMRC, and you can't actually pay any IHT until an IHT reference number has been assigned to you by HMRC.
This is the position I'm at. My solicitor says he applied for a batch of reference numbers about six weeks ago, including ours. We are still waiting.
Meanwhile, we have a property sale which is at the "under offer" stage, and obviously this can't exchange contracts until probate has been granted. So HMRC are in danger of scuppering this deal if the buyer gets impatient.
Is there anything I can do to chivvy HMRC along? Is there an official complaints procedure?
I consider a six week delay totally unacceptable when all they have to do is open an account and tell us the number - this should be instant. If they are this slow at doing that, how slow will they be at sending a receipt when I do get a chance to pay some IHT?
We're talking about £78k required to release the probate, with a further £66k to be paid by the six month point. Do they not want to collect this money??!
Any probate experts know how much longer I'm likely to be waiting?
Edited to add: What happens if we reach the six month point and I still don't have a reference number? Will the idiots start trying to charge me interest even though they have denied me the opportunity to pay the tax?
With the assistance of my solicitor, the probate application has been submitted and the inheritance tax forms (IHT400 etc) have been filled in, to be sent once we've got a reference number.
As you may know, you can't be granted probate until at least part of the IHT has been paid and acknowledged by HMRC, and you can't actually pay any IHT until an IHT reference number has been assigned to you by HMRC.
This is the position I'm at. My solicitor says he applied for a batch of reference numbers about six weeks ago, including ours. We are still waiting.
Meanwhile, we have a property sale which is at the "under offer" stage, and obviously this can't exchange contracts until probate has been granted. So HMRC are in danger of scuppering this deal if the buyer gets impatient.
Is there anything I can do to chivvy HMRC along? Is there an official complaints procedure?
I consider a six week delay totally unacceptable when all they have to do is open an account and tell us the number - this should be instant. If they are this slow at doing that, how slow will they be at sending a receipt when I do get a chance to pay some IHT?
We're talking about £78k required to release the probate, with a further £66k to be paid by the six month point. Do they not want to collect this money??!
Any probate experts know how much longer I'm likely to be waiting?
Edited to add: What happens if we reach the six month point and I still don't have a reference number? Will the idiots start trying to charge me interest even though they have denied me the opportunity to pay the tax?
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Tuesday 2nd May 07:38
Well, well, well!
Several times recently I have got within inches of writing a letter of complaint, only to find that the institution in question has pulled its finger out in the nick of time.
The last time this happened was when the CAA took months to issue my Class 1 medical - I was literally sitting at my computer writing a letter of complaint when the medical certificate landed on my door mat.
And now... just as I was about to write a s
tty letter to HMRC, my solicitor has emailed to tell me that the reference number has finally arrived. So now I can get on with paying the IHT.
Several times recently I have got within inches of writing a letter of complaint, only to find that the institution in question has pulled its finger out in the nick of time.
The last time this happened was when the CAA took months to issue my Class 1 medical - I was literally sitting at my computer writing a letter of complaint when the medical certificate landed on my door mat.
And now... just as I was about to write a s
tty letter to HMRC, my solicitor has emailed to tell me that the reference number has finally arrived. So now I can get on with paying the IHT.Okay, I might now be back into official complaint territory again.
Having received the IHT reference number, I have paid the portion of IHT required for probate. This amounts to about £78k, paid partly from one of my Dad's investments (sent an IHT 423 to the investment manager and they paid it fairly quickly) and partly from my own account. Both payments had the IHT reference number as the reference on the transfer. My solicitor wrote to them telling them where the payments were coming from and a breakdown of the amounts in the two payments.
This was over four weeks ago, and we now need HMRC to send a receipt, without which the probate service still can't release probate. Meanwhile, we now have TWO property sales hanging on this.
On what planet is it acceptable for it to take four weeks just to send a receipt, when somebody has paid £78k?
Somebody needs to start making formal complaints to these clowns, and it might as well be me. It is really going to boil my piss paying the remaining £66k when the deadline comes at the end of July.
So, does anybody know how to complain to HMRC for piss-poor service?
Having received the IHT reference number, I have paid the portion of IHT required for probate. This amounts to about £78k, paid partly from one of my Dad's investments (sent an IHT 423 to the investment manager and they paid it fairly quickly) and partly from my own account. Both payments had the IHT reference number as the reference on the transfer. My solicitor wrote to them telling them where the payments were coming from and a breakdown of the amounts in the two payments.
This was over four weeks ago, and we now need HMRC to send a receipt, without which the probate service still can't release probate. Meanwhile, we now have TWO property sales hanging on this.
On what planet is it acceptable for it to take four weeks just to send a receipt, when somebody has paid £78k?
Somebody needs to start making formal complaints to these clowns, and it might as well be me. It is really going to boil my piss paying the remaining £66k when the deadline comes at the end of July.
So, does anybody know how to complain to HMRC for piss-poor service?
ladderino said:
None of which is any use unfortunately.When you try to register for Government Gateway so you can use the online form, it lists a load of irrelevant services none of which relate to probate or inheritance tax. Or should I register for sheep and goat ear tagging registration services?
I've just spent half an hour on the phone line given on this page with no answer. I don't believe they are actually servicing that number at all.
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