Girlfriends Tax Return Help!!!
Discussion
My girlfriend has again been sent a request from HMRC for £1,214.45 for not filling in her tax returns from 2009-2011.
Here's the thing though; she never has been self-employed.
She remembers phoning and asking about becoming self-employed back in '09 as she was going to begin doing hairdressing by herself, but she never did this and ended up choosing a different career path (dentistry, if you're wondering!).
What HMRC are saying is that a 'pack' was sent out about becoming self-employed back in 2009 which she needed to fill in even if she didn't become self-employed. Sadly, being 3 years ago, she has no bloody idea where this form might be!
This is the 3rd time now we have explained the situation to the HMRC (we did it last March and the year before....a pattern is emerging). On both of those occasions a simple telephone call was required and they 'looked into it' and decided that yes, she doesn't actually owe anything if she never became self-employed during the period '09-'11, and that they wouldn't bother us again in the future.
The letter landed last week and obviously receiving an eye-watering bill like that is a bit scary! She has spoken to them again on the phone today and they have asked that she fill out a tax return for 2009-2011. This would be simple if we had all of her P60s from that period, although she can only find those from 2011 and 2012.
Obviously we are now waiting for them to write to her again (chap on the phone said he would send the relevant forms through), but what do we do from here? How do we find previous years' P60s? And surely if this is all we are doing then we will just be relaying information they already have?
I'm confused. Please help!
Here's the thing though; she never has been self-employed.
She remembers phoning and asking about becoming self-employed back in '09 as she was going to begin doing hairdressing by herself, but she never did this and ended up choosing a different career path (dentistry, if you're wondering!).
What HMRC are saying is that a 'pack' was sent out about becoming self-employed back in 2009 which she needed to fill in even if she didn't become self-employed. Sadly, being 3 years ago, she has no bloody idea where this form might be!
This is the 3rd time now we have explained the situation to the HMRC (we did it last March and the year before....a pattern is emerging). On both of those occasions a simple telephone call was required and they 'looked into it' and decided that yes, she doesn't actually owe anything if she never became self-employed during the period '09-'11, and that they wouldn't bother us again in the future.
The letter landed last week and obviously receiving an eye-watering bill like that is a bit scary! She has spoken to them again on the phone today and they have asked that she fill out a tax return for 2009-2011. This would be simple if we had all of her P60s from that period, although she can only find those from 2011 and 2012.
Obviously we are now waiting for them to write to her again (chap on the phone said he would send the relevant forms through), but what do we do from here? How do we find previous years' P60s? And surely if this is all we are doing then we will just be relaying information they already have?
I'm confused. Please help!
If you read the newspapers you would see that paying as much tax as you can is a good idea and this is like a christmas come early.
Its an ideal opportunity for her to avail herself of the joys of the ultimate tax payment, 100% of earnings, this may not get her this in one step, but its a good start. She should optimise her tax payments and this is an excellent first step.
Call and thank them very much for their help and see if she can set up a standing order to transfer her entire salary to HMRC monthly. Then she will have achieved nirvana.
.. alternately contact her previous employer to get the old P60's I think they have to retain and/or reissue them by law
Its an ideal opportunity for her to avail herself of the joys of the ultimate tax payment, 100% of earnings, this may not get her this in one step, but its a good start. She should optimise her tax payments and this is an excellent first step.
Call and thank them very much for their help and see if she can set up a standing order to transfer her entire salary to HMRC monthly. Then she will have achieved nirvana.
.. alternately contact her previous employer to get the old P60's I think they have to retain and/or reissue them by law
Self Assessment covers all sorts of people - only SOME who may have self employed income. I would say that well over 50% of the self assessment tax returns I complete contain any self employed income.
Do/did any of the following situations apply to your girlfriend -
i) she is a higher rate taxpayer
ii)she has income that is received untaxed at source such as
rental income
bank interest
dividend income
overseas income
iii) she had a Capital Gain in tax year 2010/11
The easiest way to deal with a request by HMRC to complete a self assessment tax return is to complete the thing.
Do/did any of the following situations apply to your girlfriend -
i) she is a higher rate taxpayer
ii)she has income that is received untaxed at source such as
rental income
bank interest
dividend income
overseas income
iii) she had a Capital Gain in tax year 2010/11
The easiest way to deal with a request by HMRC to complete a self assessment tax return is to complete the thing.
Well I have not seen the letter yet as I am at work, but I intend to be better informed tomorrow having read it!
She has worked during that period for 2 different employers (both different dental practices) but did not receive any form of income from anywhere else (she is only 22, she was living at home in 2009!)
I'm worried because I know that she went from one dental practice to the other because the company folded. So getting hold of that P60 could prove interesting....
Why don't women keep these things! They're happy to keep hold of all manner of tat you'll never need but don't seem to retain important documents! Arrrgh!
She has worked during that period for 2 different employers (both different dental practices) but did not receive any form of income from anywhere else (she is only 22, she was living at home in 2009!)
I'm worried because I know that she went from one dental practice to the other because the company folded. So getting hold of that P60 could prove interesting....
Why don't women keep these things! They're happy to keep hold of all manner of tat you'll never need but don't seem to retain important documents! Arrrgh!
Eric Mc said:
She will need P60s, P45s details of interest on bank accounts etc etc for the year end 5 April 2011.
Do you know if HMRC wanted her to complete a 2011/12 tax return?
Eric - just seen your email, thanks. If it's OK I will try to grasp more of an understanding of the situation tonight and contact you when I know what it is the HMRC is expecting us to provide them with?Do you know if HMRC wanted her to complete a 2011/12 tax return?
C.A.R. said:
Eric Mc said:
She will need P60s, P45s details of interest on bank accounts etc etc for the year end 5 April 2011.
Do you know if HMRC wanted her to complete a 2011/12 tax return?
Eric - just seen your email, thanks. If it's OK I will try to grasp more of an understanding of the situation tonight and contact you when I know what it is the HMRC is expecting us to provide them with?Do you know if HMRC wanted her to complete a 2011/12 tax return?
If she doesn't then she'll get fined to buggery, and may very well get investiagted up the pipe. Without any lubrication.
Get the P45s, P60s and bank statements for the relevant periods, together with any other evidence of any earnings or income.
Then fill them in. This will certainly cause a persistent and dull ache in the testes, but there is no alternative. You'd better hope she hasn't been hiding any income.
Better still, get Eric Mc to do it for a fee, and remember that in doing so one should never every confuse price and value.
Edited by RSoovy4 on Tuesday 12th February 16:47
C.A.R. said:
Eric Mc said:
She will need P60s, P45s details of interest on bank accounts etc etc for the year end 5 April 2011.
Do you know if HMRC wanted her to complete a 2011/12 tax return?
Eric - just seen your email, thanks. If it's OK I will try to grasp more of an understanding of the situation tonight and contact you when I know what it is the HMRC is expecting us to provide them with?Do you know if HMRC wanted her to complete a 2011/12 tax return?
She just needs to gather together ALL details showing her income from ALL sources for the year ended 5 April 2011 (and probably 5 April 2012 as well).
You wont need the P45 or P60 from the first employment - the end of year P60 from her second employer should have entries for the gross income and income tax suffered on her previous employment.
There is also a straight forward way of avoiding completion of the tax returns if she only had this employment income, except for the year which appears to have had a determonation issued which requires a tax return to set it aside otherwise it can be collected as if it was an established debt - PM me if you want.
David
There is also a straight forward way of avoiding completion of the tax returns if she only had this employment income, except for the year which appears to have had a determonation issued which requires a tax return to set it aside otherwise it can be collected as if it was an established debt - PM me if you want.
David
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