When do HMRC correct errors previous tax year?

[PositronicRay]

Fortunately I'm no longer required to complete self assessment tax returns, but have a couple of overpayments from 20/21 tax yr.

How long does it take HMRC to correct them?

[Car bon]

Have you claimed a refund ? That's likely the quickest way rather than waiting for them to realise.

https://www.gov.uk/claim-tax-refund

[PositronicRay]

Car bon said:

Have you claimed a refund ? That's likely the quickest way rather than waiting for them to realise.

https://www.gov.uk/claim-tax-refund

Thanks for the link.

[Eric Mc]

PositronicRay said:

Fortunately I'm no longer required to complete self assessment tax returns, but have a couple of overpayments from 20/21 tax yr.

How long does it take HMRC to correct them?

You can always submit a Self Assessment yourself. HMRC has no legal power to dictate to you whether you complete one or not.

[Edible Roadkill]

Probably best phoning them up but good luck getting through.

They are slow I’m still waiting on a refund for 22/23 which I claimed following self assessment on the 6th April. Guidelines state 4 weeks for them to make payment.

[skeeterm5]

Edible Roadkill said:

Probably best phoning them up but good luck getting through.

They are slow I’m still waiting on a refund for 22/23 which I claimed following self assessment on the 6th April. Guidelines state 4 weeks for them to make payment.

If the repayment is showing as pending it is likely it has gone for extra “security” checks. These can take up to 6 weeks from the date the payment was marked as pending.

At least that was what the helpful chap a HMRC told me yesterday when I phoned to ask where mine was.

[Edible Roadkill]

Mine doesn’t show pending or otherwise in my account.

It does say however I’m the payments/credits received part that that the date from which HMRC treat a credit posted to your account as being available as 24th Jan 2024.

I’ll give it another few weeks and phone them.

It says:

Payments/credits received

Overpayment from tax return for tax year ending 05 Apr 2023

Overpayment from tax return:
xxxx
Date:
31 Jan 2024
Payment allocation:

Allocated toHelp about: Allocated to (Payments/credits) - opens in a new window
Amount (£)
Not yet used xxxx
Total xxxx

Edited by Edible Roadkill on Wednesday 24th May 12:39

[OldSkoolRS]

I'd seen the previous link before, but ran through again just now to remind myself why it didn't help:

HMRC said:

Your tax may not have been calculated yet

You should get a tax calculation letter (known as a ‘P800’) by 30 November 2023 if HMRC works out you have paid too much tax.

If you’ve not received a letter by 30 November, then you’ve probably paid the correct amount of tax.

I'd already phoned them last November because I only worked 2 months last year having retired and living off savings/tax free income. They were about to refund me, but due to a mistake by my (tax free) ex-Navy pension they said I could go back the my Navy pensions people to get the mistake corrected (they keep sending a form that says zero tax, when in fact they don't need to send anything to HMRC).

Knowing that would be a total PITA to explain to the Navy pension people and get them to do a kind of P60 to sort this out, my other option was to 'wait until April, then we'll pay it back then'. Patently not the case given the above 30 November date for the P800 and my tax portal says that it hasn't been calculated yet and the same deadline.

Not sure why I should wait nearly 18 months to get tax back that I've overpaid, especially when the reverse situation would have been expected much quicker I'm sure.

Something similar happened the tax year my Dad died, but I'm not sure I can deal with the pain of trying to get them to repay it to his estate now. Not a huge amount, but more the principal of it and that various other delays to Probate cost me far more in lost interest...

Edited by OldSkoolRS on Wednesday 24th May 14:02

[Edible Roadkill]

I just got through to them after 40min on hold, after answering security questions woman put me back on hold to look at my file & call ended. She must have cut me off. Ffs!!

Edited by Edible Roadkill on Wednesday 24th May 14:44

[Eric Mc]

Edible Roadkill said:

I just got through to them after 40min on hold, after answering security questions woman put me back on hold to look at my fine & call ended. She must have cut me off. Ffs!!

I'm sure she didn't but the system probably cut you off automatically becaue you had been on the phone so long.

[Edible Roadkill]

Eric Mc said:

Edible Roadkill said:

I just got through to them after 40min on hold, after answering security questions woman put me back on hold to look at my fine & call ended. She must have cut me off. Ffs!!

I'm sure she didn't but the system probably cut you off automatically becaue you had been on the phone so long.

I was at 46mins all in. I didn’t think there would be a time limit.

Back in the queue now.

[OldSkoolRS]

Oddly every time either me or my wife ring up it is always 40 minutes until we get through. If it’s deliberate then it works because it puts me off calling until it’s absolutely necessary.

[Edible Roadkill]

50mins to get through 2nd time but they confirmed my tax refund was available to process and took my card details over the phone, paid by bacs. Take up to 10working days they say.

OP give them a ring but allow an hour to reach them.

0300 200 3401

[CorradoTDI]

Edible Roadkill said:

I just got through to them after 40min on hold, after answering security questions woman put me back on hold to look at my file & call ended. She must have cut me off. Ffs!!

Edited by Edible Roadkill on Wednesday 24th May 14:44

That is my general experience of getting through to any HMRC based department... when you do actually speak to someone, they are basically just a call handler and have to divert you to someone else depending on what you say, this may then happen a second or third time if you're lucky enough not to get cut off during this. Useless organisation!