how to deal with HM revenue.

[lazy farmer]

hi, had a letter from the revenue today stating that we owe money for PAYE for the period ending April 5th 2013. I admit it was missed at the time(along with other stuff) due to my mum dying during that April. The revenue wrote asking for the money late 2014 which I paid on 31st December 2014.
I still have the code I used in the reference box on my online payments. I subsequently had another letter asking for the money so I rang up and explained that I had paid. then nothing until today. Todays letter is mentioning seizing goods and selling at a public auction.
Any advice on what I should be saying when I ring them on Monday?

thanks in advance
lazy

 

[Y Fan Wen]

Ask them for a statement and see what's on it?

 

[Blod]

Send them references to the payment. Date, amount etc. Cheque number, bacs transaction number. They'll take the money even if they can't allocate it to an account. It's up to you to make sure they can.

 

[Netherfield]

I had a letter a few years ago 'I need to see your bank statements for account no xxxxx with bank xxx going back 7 years, I believe you have not been declaring this on your tax return'.
I do have an account with said bank but did not recognise the number,I got in touch with the bank who clearly stated that number is not one of ours and sent me that in writing,this was sent to the tax office,6 months later another letter 'we are still investigating this matter', then another 12 months later the final letter 'This investigation is now closed'.

It puts the fear in to you that they are suddenly going to come up with a massive tax bill,never could get an explanation.

 

[Exfarmer]

I had a letter a few years ago 'I need to see your bank statements for account no xxxxx with bank xxx going back 7 years, I believe you have not been declaring this on your tax return'.
I do have an account with said bank but did not recognise the number,I got in touch with the bank who clearly stated that number is not one of ours and sent me that in writing,this was sent to the tax office,6 months later another letter 'we are still investigating this matter', then another 12 months later the final letter 'This investigation is now closed'.

It puts the fear in to you that they are suddenly going to come up with a massive tax bill,never could get an explanation.

Hope you took all the money out though

 

[Boysground]

I had them turn up in the summer unanounced wanting money for an underpayment of paye. I had made a mistake I didn't know of at the time. Went through my records and worked out where I was wrong. I had to do a card payment there and then. It was for less than £200. The lady was very polite and understanding of my mistake. Talking to her that was her job travelling and collecting money.

Bg

 

[farmer on a bike]

Ring them again, go through it with who ever you get, ask for there name and ask if they have a log of your previous contact and ask what action was taken. If you talk to anyone make sure you note , name, time and date of call. I had a similar issue and the people on the phone are very helpful, they then pass it on to another department who seem to ignore it. The second call they suggested I write, which also had no effect. We had paid using an out of date reference, they could see I had paid, but couldn't move the money. I had the similar threatening letter but they seem to have sorted it now after a third call, although I wouldn't be very suprised to get another letter about it in the future!

If they get any more threatening I would get your MP involved.

 

[multi power]

I had trouble when my self employed status changed to paye, a couple of years later they were charging penalties for no tax return, rang up got it alt sorted, then another letter. I too got the impression that the details were getting lost between various departments

 

[Farfrae]

Presumeably you have a bank statement showing the amount paid and the date. Explain the situation get a contact name and address and offer to send them a copy of the statement showing the payment?

I'd certainly put in writing (keeping a copy) and send it recorded delivery as evidence should you need it in the future.

 

[beef 1]

I know its easy to say ,but if you are sure about the circumstances ie. def paid , don't worry too much because ...
A. it takes them three months to read a letter and longer too correct any errors .and six months to reply .
B . it takes them nearly three months to answer the phone and then they are only apprentices and have to pass info you give on.

Ive had some of this and it can drive you insane if you let it .
Try look at your paye tax account online and see if anything has been done.or if you can see anything relevant on there.You have the necessary dates .
These letters are computer generated and keep coming if no one physically stops them , so if you paid you are in the right , but just be sure you are !!!
The hmrc helpline / phone line is a disgrace and must cost the country thousands if jot millions per day in man hours with people on the phone alone .(average answer time is about an hour ).
Best time to try ive found is 4.45 when firms paye dep. are on their way out of the door home and they want to get home themselves .

 

[Badshot]

I had trouble about 7-8 years ago over the normal tax bill. We had these letters coming out of our ears, I got my MP involved eventually, that made them wake up. It was also over a missing on line payment. They found it in the end. But it took a long time.

 

[Bill]

I had similar with N I several years ago. After about 9 months of going around in circles contacted my MP.
Sorted within a week, with written apology from head of NI office.
MP can be useful sometimes.

Bill

 

[quavers]

these people are just f.... to deal with . got a letter in saying I was fined that my self assessment was not in , £100 . contacted my accountant who said he had done it not to worry he would deal with it . well for over a year this £100 fine went up and up , me contacting my accountant ever time I got a letter , him sending them an email telling them they had got it wrong . finally got a demand for about £1400 and they were putting a debt collection firm on to collect monies . back on to my accountant explaining this was getting serious and did he have copies of his emails for evidence , phone back a couple hours later explaining that he had spent over half hour on the phone trying to get through before speaking to some one who finally got it sorted . hrmc still owe my family £1500 after my father dying over 5 years ago , these large central government agencies are simply not up to the job . they are law to them selves

 

[pgk]

these people are just f.... to deal with . got a letter in saying I was fined that my self assessment was not in , £100 . contacted my accountant who said he had done it not to worry he would deal with it . well for over a year this £100 fine went up and up , me contacting my accountant ever time I got a letter , him sending them an email telling them they had got it wrong . finally got a demand for about £1400 and they were putting a debt collection firm on to collect monies . back on to my accountant explaining this was getting serious and did he have copies of his emails for evidence , phone back a couple hours later explaining that he had spent over half hour on the phone trying to get through before speaking to some one who finally got it sorted . hrmc still owe my family £1500 after my father dying over 5 years ago , these large central government agencies are simply not up to the job . they are law to them selves

You are right current government have introduced outside consultants and practice's which have never been tested in any organisation of the size and complexity of hmrc. Staff have been pee'd about and had pay cuts, job losses etc for last 5 years and have in last couple of weeks been told those still left are to move to 13 regional centres each containing thousands of staff. Many experienced staff will leave as new offices too far away to travel. Massive retirement bulge of experienced staff and sudden desperate recruitment of kids off the streets who are supposed to understand the complexities with little guidance. Frankly the senior management and politicians have no interest in producing a good service simply a cheap one. Bear in mind most tax comes in with no effort through PAYE and self assessment and if people can't get through there is no queries to deal with. It is I fear fecked!

 

[lazy farmer]

thank you all very much for your replies. Got on the phone at 8 am only on hold for 5 minutes. spoke to a nice lady who quite easily it seems found that the payment I had made had been allocated to the previous year."would I like to reallocate it?!" "yes I would" I replied! so she did whilst I was on the phone and I now owe them £6.38. it Turns out they cannot reallocate money with out permission. fair enough really. But it does occur to me that whilst it was my fault for putting the wrong reference date on the BACS payment it would have been nice of them to write and tell me I had overpaid the previous yr by nearly 5k!

thanks again lazy

 

[farmer on a bike]

thank you all very much for your replies. Got on the phone at 8 am only on hold for 5 minutes. spoke to a nice lady who quite easily it seems found that the payment I had made had been allocated to the previous year."would I like to reallocate it?!" "yes I would" I replied! so she did whilst I was on the phone and I now owe them £6.38. it Turns out they cannot reallocate money with out permission. fair enough really. But it does occur to me that whilst it was my fault for putting the wrong reference date on the BACS payment it would have been nice of them to write and tell me I had overpaid the previous yr by nearly 5k!

thanks again lazy

Don't assume that is the end of it, I was promised that and it didn't happen until 2 further letters and 2 more calls.

 

[lazy farmer]

Noted. My only real reason to hope she had actually done it was the pause on the line whilst she entered the data then being told that the updated figures meant we now owe £6.38.
fingers crossed
lazy