The dreaded P800-Underpayment of Tax
The dreaded P800-Underpayment of Tax
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samu23

Original Poster:

42 posts

175 months

Tuesday 3rd January 2012
quotequote all
Hi

Im hoping someone on here might have some experience of the HMRC underpayment notices being sent out. I have received one this morning dated 20/12/2011. It is relating to the tax year 2009/10 and I believe I pay not be liable to pay the underpayment of roughly £400 under ESC A19.

Has anyone on here challenged the underpayments? They are notifying me over a year after the period it relates to and all necessary steps were taken to give HMRC the correct information. I did move jobs during the year, but a P45 was provided to my a new employer.

Any advice would be great.

Cheers

Sam

Eric Mc

124,106 posts

282 months

Tuesday 3rd January 2012
quotequote all
See other thread on same subject.

sumo69

2,164 posts

237 months

Wednesday 4th January 2012
quotequote all
The tax rules dictate that HMRC have to 31 January 2011 to raise enquiries or assessments for the year ended 5 April 2010 so I believe you have no escape under the ESC A19 route - you can ask for the underpayment to be coded out on your 2012/13 PAYE coding if you have one thus easing the pain somewhat.

Further details and comment are on the alternate thread as Eric says.

D

Eric Mc

124,106 posts

282 months

Wednesday 4th January 2012
quotequote all
sumo69 said:
The tax rules dictate that HMRC have to 31 January 2011 to raise enquiries or assessments for the year ended 5 April 2010 so I believe you have no escape under the ESC A19 route - you can ask for the underpayment to be coded out on your 2012/13 PAYE coding if you have one thus easing the pain somewhat.

Further details and comment are on the alternate thread as Eric says.

D
Has not the 31 January twelve month limit been abolished now?

sumo69

2,164 posts

237 months

Wednesday 4th January 2012
quotequote all
If it has I must have missed it - have you a link?


Eric Mc

124,106 posts

282 months

Wednesday 4th January 2012
quotequote all
Under the original self assessment rules, HMRC had 12 months from the filing deadline to open an enquiry into a return. Therefore, an enquiry into (say) the 2005/06 tax return could not be opened after 31 January 2008.

I was pretty sure that this self imposed restriction had been done away with.

samu23

Original Poster:

42 posts

175 months

Monday 9th January 2012
quotequote all
Just a quick update to this, a quick phone call to the revenue mentioning i would like to claim for the tax to be written off under ESC A19 was successful and a letter came through 3 days later confirming they had written off the amount.

If anyone wants a copy of the letter or any other advice, give me a shout,

Sam

Eric Mc

124,106 posts

282 months

Monday 9th January 2012
quotequote all
Great result. On what grounds did they accept that ESC A19 was applicable?

I am genuinely interested to know as it seems that they capitulated very quickly.

samu23

Original Poster:

42 posts

175 months

Monday 9th January 2012
quotequote all
ESC A19 in laymans terms states that if HMRC had all the correct information by the deadlines they set, P60's/P45 etc then they have a period of 1 year after the tax year end to request underpaid tax.

In my case it related to 09/10 so a year after this is April 2011. However I did not receive notice of this underpayment until January 2012 (letter dated 20/12/11).

On these ground I don't believe they had any other choice.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/esc/esc.htm

Cheers

Sam

sumo69

2,164 posts

237 months

Tuesday 10th January 2012
quotequote all
Without knowing the OP's exact issue, its impossible to say if the ESC A19 write-off is actually correct as this is all dependent on when the due date for them receiving the information was.

For example an underpayment caused by a P11d benefit greater than that included on the tax coding for 2010/11 is only seen by HMRC in July 2011 which is in the 2011/12 tax year and HMRC must use the info within a year from the end of the tax year that it was received so have until 5 April 2013 to assess any underpayment.

Alternatively if its an issue from an in year form such as a P45, then the deadline would be a year earlier at 5 April 2012.

Hope that clarifies matters.

David