F*ck the tax man !!!!!
Discussion
How do you sort them out. After 4 months sorting out my nat insurance contributions they finally agreed I was right so I paid them what I owe them by debit card. Got a bill with this quarters ni and a statement confirming I had paid them and I owe no money. Low and behold last Friday got a county court judgment saying they had won judgement etc etc and I now have a county court judgement I spent 7 hours trying to get through to them to no avail, engaged, on hold, wrong department etc etc. How do I sort this out ? I have Prof of payment (bank statement) letter confirming I owe them zero and a now tarnished credit history .
They are woefully inefficient and getting worse.
Today I had a phone call from a client telling me that he had a note from the Revenue confirming that his Corporation Tax return for last year was now late and he would be receiving a fixed penalty.
The return was submitted last July.
I phoned the tax office last week to see what they were up to. They confirmed that they had the return but that this fact had not been entered on their system - hence the reminders and penalties. The lady I spoke to confirmed that the system would be updated and all further demands and threats would be cancelled.
Obviously, that never happened.
It seems that HMRC are now embarking on a course to ensure they maximise their income from penalties - even when the taxpayers have done nothing wrong.
It makes me livid.
Today I had a phone call from a client telling me that he had a note from the Revenue confirming that his Corporation Tax return for last year was now late and he would be receiving a fixed penalty.
The return was submitted last July.
I phoned the tax office last week to see what they were up to. They confirmed that they had the return but that this fact had not been entered on their system - hence the reminders and penalties. The lady I spoke to confirmed that the system would be updated and all further demands and threats would be cancelled.
Obviously, that never happened.
It seems that HMRC are now embarking on a course to ensure they maximise their income from penalties - even when the taxpayers have done nothing wrong.
It makes me livid.
All at our expense, naturally! 
HMRC are reducing employee numbers by tens of thousands. They don't make anybody redundant, they just close offices and relocate everybody to some awkward to get to place, knowing full well that many people, especially the older (more experienced and conscientious staff) won't move.
Many staff are being moved into call-centres, and guess where the next step after that is?
Many staff are being moved into call-centres, and guess where the next step after that is?
deva link said:
HMRC are reducing employee numbers by tens of thousands. They don't make anybody redundant, they just close offices and relocate everybody to some awkward to get to place, knowing full well that many people, especially the older (more experienced and conscientious staff) won't move.
Many staff are being moved into call-centres, and guess where the next step after that is?
And that is relevent here...........?
If we all ran our companies as inefficiently as Civil Serpents run 'theirs' we'd be all bankrupt. They need to raise their game, if clearing out some dead wood is the way to go, I'm all for it.
Tyre Smoke said:
HMRC are reducing employee numbers by tens of thousands. They don't make anybody redundant, they just close offices and relocate everybody to some awkward to get to place, knowing full well that many people, especially the older (more experienced and conscientious staff) won't move.
Many staff are being moved into call-centres, and guess where the next step after that is?
And that is relevent here...........?
If we all ran our companies as inefficiently as Civil Serpents run 'theirs' we'd be all bankrupt. They need to raise their game, if clearing out some dead wood is the way to go, I'm all for it.
Problem with the Civil Service is that in reality they're more likely to throw out the live wood and keep the dead wood!
srebbe64 said:
HMRC are reducing employee numbers by tens of thousands. They don't make anybody redundant, they just close offices and relocate everybody to some awkward to get to place, knowing full well that many people, especially the older (more experienced and conscientious staff) won't move.
Many staff are being moved into call-centres, and guess where the next step after that is?
And that is relevent here...........?
If we all ran our companies as inefficiently as Civil Serpents run 'theirs' we'd be all bankrupt. They need to raise their game, if clearing out some dead wood is the way to go, I'm all for it.
Problem with the Civil Service is that in reality they're more likely to throw out the live wood and keep the dead wood!
Quite right!
Jobs for the boys (and girls).
Tyre Smoke said:From my wife's experiences it's the dead wood that is DOING the throwing out. Increasing layers of middle management being seen to do something to justify their existence I guess.
HMRC are reducing employee numbers by tens of thousands. They don't make anybody redundant, they just close offices and relocate everybody to some awkward to get to place, knowing full well that many people, especially the older (more experienced and conscientious staff) won't move.
Many staff are being moved into call-centres, and guess where the next step after that is?
And that is relevent here...........?
If we all ran our companies as inefficiently as Civil Serpents run 'theirs' we'd be all bankrupt. They need to raise their game, if clearing out some dead wood is the way to go, I'm all for it.
Problem with the Civil Service is that in reality they're more likely to throw out the live wood and keep the dead wood!
Quite right!
Jobs for the boys (and girls).
The same applies to the IR as all government bodies, if they were private businesses or plc's the managers would get the sack. In the civil service, you only ever get a slap on the wrist or a helping and to figure out a plan to resolve the problems (never once coming to the conclusion the problem is the monkeys making the plans).
I had to spend a day sorting out my NI contributions as they sent me a letter wanting records of all work completed from Sept 2000 - April 2005 since I "may have paid too much" - was there ever a more blatant ploy to shaft greedy people? So, details for every job I worked whilst a student. Only 8 jobs payslips to dig out then. Sat down and worked out my tax and NI on my own, what was paid vs what should have been paid.
Turns out they did owe me money, £14 in all. So I wrote them a nice letter back with their form giving them the details and saying I looked forward to my rebate. What says ye? 4 months waiting = my cheque isnt coming?
I had to spend a day sorting out my NI contributions as they sent me a letter wanting records of all work completed from Sept 2000 - April 2005 since I "may have paid too much" - was there ever a more blatant ploy to shaft greedy people? So, details for every job I worked whilst a student. Only 8 jobs payslips to dig out then. Sat down and worked out my tax and NI on my own, what was paid vs what should have been paid.
Turns out they did owe me money, £14 in all. So I wrote them a nice letter back with their form giving them the details and saying I looked forward to my rebate. What says ye? 4 months waiting = my cheque isnt coming?
My recent dealings with HMRC have been fairly simple and painless but I had a hugely frustrating time trying to sort out some 'missing' tax returns for a few years back.
At the time I'd been an employee paying tax/NI via PAYE. I had all P60s and leaving P45 from that employer.
Received a demand for two missing tax returns and a statement of account with £500+ of fines on it.
The first person I spoke to, when I explained why I'd not sent in returns (I'd had a letter telling me not to and never received anything asking for one) basically accused me of lieing to avoid the fines. Fortunately he couldn't deal with me as teh computer system had gone down.
I called back a few days later to try to sort it out and got through to a really friendly and reasonable chap who listened to me, looked at the record. Asked a few questions and gave some advice. Tax returns sent out, filled in and returned. Fines revoked.
One thing I didn't know - even as an employee it's your job to update HMRC with changes of address!!! They were sending stuff to an address I'd not lived at for 6 years.
At the time I'd been an employee paying tax/NI via PAYE. I had all P60s and leaving P45 from that employer.
Received a demand for two missing tax returns and a statement of account with £500+ of fines on it.
The first person I spoke to, when I explained why I'd not sent in returns (I'd had a letter telling me not to and never received anything asking for one) basically accused me of lieing to avoid the fines. Fortunately he couldn't deal with me as teh computer system had gone down.
I called back a few days later to try to sort it out and got through to a really friendly and reasonable chap who listened to me, looked at the record. Asked a few questions and gave some advice. Tax returns sent out, filled in and returned. Fines revoked.
One thing I didn't know - even as an employee it's your job to update HMRC with changes of address!!! They were sending stuff to an address I'd not lived at for 6 years.
EVERBODY has respnsibility to notify HMRC of ANYTHING that HMRC need to know about your personal circumstances. If you are not aware of what HMRC need to know, that is not a valid excuse (ignorance of the law etc etc etc).
Since the advent of Self Assessment in 1995/96, that has been the FUNDAMENTAL difference in the administration of UK tax.
It is actually a CRIMINAL offence NOT to notify within the specified time limits.
Please note that the automatic penalties can only be legally collected by the Revenue if you actually owed tax for a given tax year at the final payment date i.e 31 January following the end of the previous tax year.
Therefore, filing a tax return late does not automatically mean that you can be fined.
Since the advent of Self Assessment in 1995/96, that has been the FUNDAMENTAL difference in the administration of UK tax.
It is actually a CRIMINAL offence NOT to notify within the specified time limits.
Please note that the automatic penalties can only be legally collected by the Revenue if you actually owed tax for a given tax year at the final payment date i.e 31 January following the end of the previous tax year.
Therefore, filing a tax return late does not automatically mean that you can be fined.
Eric Mc said:
Please note that the automatic penalties can only be legally collected by the Revenue if you actually owed tax for a given tax year at the final payment date i.e 31 January following the end of the previous tax year.
Therefore, filing a tax return late does not automatically mean that you can be fined.
That explains the lack of a fine as I didn't owe anything. No doubt, had it been the case they could fine even if I didn't owe then they would have.
need to find a more proactive accountant too as I'm paying the buggers way too much tax. Anyone know one (a good one) in SE London?
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