Inland Revenue website
Discussion
Apparently the Inland Revenue website is down as it can't handle the traffic as taxpayers rush to beat today's deadline.
And what do the IR say in response?
Tough! You shouldn't have left it so late to file, and even if you can't file because the site is down we are still going to fine you!
And what do the IR say in response?
Tough! You shouldn't have left it so late to file, and even if you can't file because the site is down we are still going to fine you!
They are a bunch of b'stards anyway. Last year they fined me even though I'd got my return in before the deadline, luckily I'd sent it Special Delivery so I could get a POD and argue it with them and get them to drop the fine. If I hadn't have spent the extra cash then I'd have been stuffed.
These kind of gits make up the rules as they go along.
These kind of gits make up the rules as they go along.
It's still very flaky, and has been since Saturday evening.
Fortunately I did mine on Saturday, and although I have only just got confirmation that it has been received, the thing was done. If I'd left it until yesterday I would have been stuffed, you just couldn't get onto the site, and it's not much better now (the initial site is ok, but going to the SA stuff times out).
FWIW, I think if the IR offer the service they should make sure they have the capacity to run it properly. They know damn well it's going to get very very busy around 31 Jan, and they should allow for that, or else next year people will go back to paper returns (which they don't want : all the data has to be input so the tax can be calculated, more hassle for them).
So it is in their interests to sort themselves out!
Fortunately I did mine on Saturday, and although I have only just got confirmation that it has been received, the thing was done. If I'd left it until yesterday I would have been stuffed, you just couldn't get onto the site, and it's not much better now (the initial site is ok, but going to the SA stuff times out).
FWIW, I think if the IR offer the service they should make sure they have the capacity to run it properly. They know damn well it's going to get very very busy around 31 Jan, and they should allow for that, or else next year people will go back to paper returns (which they don't want : all the data has to be input so the tax can be calculated, more hassle for them).
So it is in their interests to sort themselves out!
As has already been said - the IR should ensure that whatever sytems they use for collecting tax returns shouild be fully operational right up to the end of the deadline. It's facetious of them telling people that they should have done their returns six months earlier - are they trying to imply that the deadline was realy 31 July?
31 January is either a deadline or it isn't.
For the record, I do not submit any of my clients' returns electronically for legal reasons.
31 January is either a deadline or it isn't.
For the record, I do not submit any of my clients' returns electronically for legal reasons.
Eric Mc said:
As has already been said - the IR should ensure that whatever sytems they use for collecting tax returns shouild be fully operational right up to the end of the deadline. It's facetious of them telling people that they should have done their returns six months earlier - are they trying to imply that the deadline was realy 31 July?
31 January is either a deadline or it isn't.
For the record, I do not submit any of my clients' returns electronically for legal reasons.
This is the first year I have done it electronically, and it does save a lot of time and hassle.
However, next year I will be doing it a lot earlier so if it does mess up I can send it in by post
The Inland Revenue is managed by a bunch of disorganised monkeys who have no idea how to run an organisation with any degree of efficiency. It's totally beaurocratic, wit no accountability and is in itself a waste of tax payer money. The cobblers they come out with as far as I'm concerned is astonishing. My accountant hand delivers my details and gets someone to sign for it when it's handed over. Will I get a letter asking where my return is in a few weeks? You bet I will!
Eric Mc said:Interesting. My accountants are in the process of switching over to using electronic submission and my SA is being filed on my behalf by them using the online facility.
For the record, I do not submit any of my clients' returns electronically for legal reasons.
I'd be interested in hearing your reasons, by email via my profile if you prefer.
Strange as it may seem, the Inland Revenue do not know everything about your financial affairs,
If you are in employment, have no Benefits in Kind and do not earn enough in your work or through any other activity to pay tax beyond the 22% Basic Rate - then you are probably paying the correct tax on a day to day basis and do not have to consider completing a Self Assessment tax return. I would suggest that virtually anyone else should be completing one.
Don't forget that many people who complete Self Assessment returns are doing it so they can reclaim excess tax they have paid during the year.
If you are in employment, have no Benefits in Kind and do not earn enough in your work or through any other activity to pay tax beyond the 22% Basic Rate - then you are probably paying the correct tax on a day to day basis and do not have to consider completing a Self Assessment tax return. I would suggest that virtually anyone else should be completing one.
Don't forget that many people who complete Self Assessment returns are doing it so they can reclaim excess tax they have paid during the year.
John RB - there is no big secret as to why I have declined to submit my client's tax returns electronically. Essentially, the issue for me revolves around the term "discovery".
Under Self Assessment, the bare legal requirement is to submit the return. That is what many people do. However, the Self Assessment regulations also contain provisions which state that if the return details are insufficient, then additional details MUST be provided to support the figures actually entered in the boxes. The return does contain a number of large "Additional Information" boxes to enable these extra details to be supplied - but they are not sufficient in my opinion for many circumstances.
If the Inland Revenue need to ask about the backup information behind the figures in the return, the only option open to them under Self Assessmnent is a formal Enquiry into the tax return. They cannot ask casual queries as they once were able to do before the implementation of Self Assessment. If problematic facts emerge during an Enquiry, that event is described as a "discovery" and may result in the taxpayer suffering higher penalties than he/she might have done if the details had been fully disclosed in the first place.
In addition, the Self Employed suppplementary pages contain a standard layout of accounts which make no concession to the actual industry or business to which the figures relate. In my opinion, it is better to provide the accounts information in the form of the actual typed accounts prepared for the client rather than relying entirely on the Inland Revenue's crude accounts layout.
Including all these extras in an electronic form is almost impossible to achieve using the current Internet filing system.
Also, paper submissions MUST be signed by the taxpayer. Electronic submissions are not signed AT ALL. The assumption is that the returns must have been approved by the tax payer before the return was filed by the accountant. The evidence of the approval must therefore be kept solely in the accountant's files - the Inland Revenue have not got a clue (and probably don't care) whether the tax payer approved the returns before submission. After all, it's not them that will have to appear in court if a dispute arises between the accountant and his client over what was actually approved.
And that is why I continue to rely on paper submissions.
Under Self Assessment, the bare legal requirement is to submit the return. That is what many people do. However, the Self Assessment regulations also contain provisions which state that if the return details are insufficient, then additional details MUST be provided to support the figures actually entered in the boxes. The return does contain a number of large "Additional Information" boxes to enable these extra details to be supplied - but they are not sufficient in my opinion for many circumstances.
If the Inland Revenue need to ask about the backup information behind the figures in the return, the only option open to them under Self Assessmnent is a formal Enquiry into the tax return. They cannot ask casual queries as they once were able to do before the implementation of Self Assessment. If problematic facts emerge during an Enquiry, that event is described as a "discovery" and may result in the taxpayer suffering higher penalties than he/she might have done if the details had been fully disclosed in the first place.
In addition, the Self Employed suppplementary pages contain a standard layout of accounts which make no concession to the actual industry or business to which the figures relate. In my opinion, it is better to provide the accounts information in the form of the actual typed accounts prepared for the client rather than relying entirely on the Inland Revenue's crude accounts layout.
Including all these extras in an electronic form is almost impossible to achieve using the current Internet filing system.
Also, paper submissions MUST be signed by the taxpayer. Electronic submissions are not signed AT ALL. The assumption is that the returns must have been approved by the tax payer before the return was filed by the accountant. The evidence of the approval must therefore be kept solely in the accountant's files - the Inland Revenue have not got a clue (and probably don't care) whether the tax payer approved the returns before submission. After all, it's not them that will have to appear in court if a dispute arises between the accountant and his client over what was actually approved.
And that is why I continue to rely on paper submissions.
The Revenue don't issue "Demands" any more. They issue "Statements of Account" which show your current situation regarding amounts due and the payable dates. If it works out that you have no liability coming up, the statement reflects this and will show a "Nil" balance due. I think it's all very reasonable to be honest. The Statements always have a payslip attached, whether a payment is due or not but that's no big deal.
These statements are much more akin to a Credit Card Statement rather than a tax "demand".
These statements are much more akin to a Credit Card Statement rather than a tax "demand".
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