Royal Mail lost my tax-return, I've now got a bill for £820 + £XX every day.

RockandGrohl · 1 May 2016 at 7:50PM

Hello all,

I recently received a double-whammy bill of 2X£100 for tax-returns that weren't filled in for my business + self-assessment.

To cut a long story short, I started a company, but didn't finalise the steps with companies house (you get a login code on the gateway) I later rang up to freeze the business (meaning I don't have to fill in tax-returns as you save the business as not trading or something like that.

I haven't spent or earned a single penny on the business.

I got 2 bills for £100 and rang up HMRC to see if they can cancel them. This is a lot of money for me. I was told I needed to fill in a zero-value tax return and then fill in the attached form to dispute the late-return charge. I filled in the form as stated alongside my tax-return, copied the documents with a photocopier and sent the originals with attached explanation of why my tax return is late to HMRC on the given address, which I confirmed with multiple telephone operators at HMRC was definitely the correct address to send to.

I paid for Recorded Signed for Delivery with Royal Mail, and have the tracking code along with the saved postage address.

Everything was filled out clearly and correctly.

I received an email asking me to sign in to HMRC as I have received a self-assessment return reminded for the new year (so clearly they still haven't updated my F'ing business as NOT IN USE)

When I logged in I saw that I have 32 days remaining to pay £820.00 on my tax return which I wrote the letter and filled the form in for. WHAT?!

So I checked the tracking number with Royal Mail and it says there is no tracking information.

What can I do about this? The charge is raising every single day, I am worried that Royal Mail will only compensate to a certain amount if HMRC don't relinquish the charge... I have a copy of the form + letter I sent to them for both my individual and business account and I definitely have proof of postage.

Thanks for all the help.

POPPYOSCAR · 1 May 2016 at 7:59PM

Ring HMRC, explain and say you have proof of postage.

Ben8282 · 1 May 2016 at 8:08PM

The £820 does not relate to the 2 X £100 charge. It relates to the tax you have to pay which is presumably long overdue. Self assessment tax is payable in Jan/Jul ....

agrinnall · 1 May 2016 at 8:13PM

What does this have to do with banking? You should ask for it to be moved to the Cutting Tax board.

molerat · 2 May 2016 at 9:09AM

Shot yourself in the foot using expensive signed for, all that gives you is £50 compensation instead of the normal £20, as there is proof it has not been delivered. If you had just used a free certificate of posting that is proof enough for the courts that it was delivered 2 days later.

custardy · 2 May 2016 at 9:14AM

RockandGrohl wrote: »

Hello all,

I recently received a double-whammy bill of 2X£100 for tax-returns that weren't filled in for my business + self-assessment.

To cut a long story short, I started a company, but didn't finalise the steps with companies house (you get a login code on the gateway) I later rang up to freeze the business (meaning I don't have to fill in tax-returns as you save the business as not trading or something like that.

I haven't spent or earned a single penny on the business.

I got 2 bills for £100 and rang up HMRC to see if they can cancel them. This is a lot of money for me. I was told I needed to fill in a zero-value tax return and then fill in the attached form to dispute the late-return charge. I filled in the form as stated alongside my tax-return, copied the documents with a photocopier and sent the originals with attached explanation of why my tax return is late to HMRC on the given address, which I confirmed with multiple telephone operators at HMRC was definitely the correct address to send to.

I paid for Recorded Signed for Delivery with Royal Mail, and have the tracking code along with the saved postage address.

Everything was filled out clearly and correctly.

I received an email asking me to sign in to HMRC as I have received a self-assessment return reminded for the new year (so clearly they still haven't updated my F'ing business as NOT IN USE)

When I logged in I saw that I have 32 days remaining to pay £820.00 on my tax return which I wrote the letter and filled the form in for. WHAT?!

So I checked the tracking number with Royal Mail and it says there is no tracking information.

What can I do about this? The charge is raising every single day, I am worried that Royal Mail will only compensate to a certain amount if HMRC don't relinquish the charge... I have a copy of the form + letter I sent to them for both my individual and business account and I definitely have proof of postage.

Thanks for all the help.

RM wont be compensating you for anything bar the loss of the letter.
For this type of thing (as posted) a certificate of posting does the job.
Or pay for Special Delivery. It not so much the cost of the service,but the potential fall out costs.

SuperHan · 2 May 2016 at 9:43AM

£820 isn't the late fee, the late fee is £200, plus £20 for each company as you're now only 2 days in to the £10 per day charge.

You need to look further in to what the charge is before you start disputing it.

Bravestar · 2 May 2016 at 10:24AM

RockandGrohl wrote: »

Hello all,

I recently received a double-whammy bill of 2X£100 for tax-returns that weren't filled in for my business + self-assessment.

To cut a long story short, I started a company, but didn't finalise the steps with companies house (you get a login code on the gateway) I later rang up to freeze the business (meaning I don't have to fill in tax-returns as you save the business as not trading or something like that.

I haven't spent or earned a single penny on the business.

I got 2 bills for £100 and rang up HMRC to see if they can cancel them. This is a lot of money for me. I was told I needed to fill in a zero-value tax return and then fill in the attached form to dispute the late-return charge. I filled in the form as stated alongside my tax-return, copied the documents with a photocopier and sent the originals with attached explanation of why my tax return is late to HMRC on the given address, which I confirmed with multiple telephone operators at HMRC was definitely the correct address to send to.

I paid for Recorded Signed for Delivery with Royal Mail, and have the tracking code along with the saved postage address.

Everything was filled out clearly and correctly.

I received an email asking me to sign in to HMRC as I have received a self-assessment return reminded for the new year (so clearly they still haven't updated my F'ing business as NOT IN USE)

When I logged in I saw that I have 32 days remaining to pay £820.00 on my tax return which I wrote the letter and filled the form in for. WHAT?!

So I checked the tracking number with Royal Mail and it says there is no tracking information.

What can I do about this? The charge is raising every single day, I am worried that Royal Mail will only compensate to a certain amount if HMRC don't relinquish the charge... I have a copy of the form + letter I sent to them for both my individual and business account and I definitely have proof of postage.

Thanks for all the help.

If one were to accept your account (which I don't

), then it would appear you would have a "reasonable excuse" for appealing the late payment charges.

6. Reasonable excuses

You can appeal against some penalties if you have a reasonable excuse, eg for your return or payment being late.
What may count as a reasonable excuse

A reasonable excuse is normally something unexpected or outside your control that stopped you meeting a tax obligation, eg:

...

postal delays that you couldn’t have predicted

https://www.gov.uk/tax-appeals/reasonable-excuses

I don't believe anyone, on any view point, would agree your inference that your allegation that RM had lost your mail has directly incurred you in the total £820 + £XX every day costs.

What I don't understand, however is what the additional, £620 relates to as it cannot be a tax bill if, as you state "I haven't spent or earned a single penny on the business." :cool:

I too suggest you refer to the tax demand you have received to establish the breakdown of the demand, and if you still don't understand it, then try speaking first with HMRC. If that still fails to clarify the situation, then you should seek independent, expert advice.

Furthermore, you on your own admission have set up two companies. When you set these up, HMRC write (not email or online) to you at the registered office to ask about your intentions, to establish whether or not you will be required to submit a corporation tax return (e.g. if the companies are to remain dormant, then HMRC will not need extra work load processing zero return corportaion tax returns)
So either uou didn't receive that either, or if you did, you either failed to reply or that reply was also lost by RM, or the reply sent meant you would need to file a corporation tax return.

Did you receive the demand to file a corporation tax return (that would typically be sent about 12 months before filing date, and worst case scenario is 3 months before), or did that go missing too?

Corporation tax returns have to be sent online.

You can only use the paper form (CT600) if you’re unable to file online because you have a reasonable excuse.

https://www.gov.uk/file-your-company-accounts-and-tax-return

So what was your reasonable excuse? :huh:

What have you done about filing accounts with Companies House? :huh:
Those must be sent online ... and when you do, then this allows you to file your tax return online with HMRC too.
:cool:

MABLE · 2 May 2016 at 10:28AM

RockandGrohl wrote: »

Hello all,

I recently received a double-whammy bill of 2X£100 for tax-returns that weren't filled in for my business + self-assessment.

To cut a long story short, I started a company, but didn't finalise the steps with companies house (you get a login code on the gateway) I later rang up to freeze the business (meaning I don't have to fill in tax-returns as you save the business as not trading or something like that.

I haven't spent or earned a single penny on the business.

I got 2 bills for £100 and rang up HMRC to see if they can cancel them. This is a lot of money for me. I was told I needed to fill in a zero-value tax return and then fill in the attached form to dispute the late-return charge. I filled in the form as stated alongside my tax-return, copied the documents with a photocopier and sent the originals with attached explanation of why my tax return is late to HMRC on the given address, which I confirmed with multiple telephone operators at HMRC was definitely the correct address to send to.

I paid for Recorded Signed for Delivery with Royal Mail, and have the tracking code along with the saved postage address.

Everything was filled out clearly and correctly.

I received an email asking me to sign in to HMRC as I have received a self-assessment return reminded for the new year (so clearly they still haven't updated my F'ing business as NOT IN USE)

When I logged in I saw that I have 32 days remaining to pay £820.00 on my tax return which I wrote the letter and filled the form in for. WHAT?!

So I checked the tracking number with Royal Mail and it says there is no tracking information.

What can I do about this? The charge is raising every single day, I am worried that Royal Mail will only compensate to a certain amount if HMRC don't relinquish the charge... I have a copy of the form + letter I sent to them for both my individual and business account and I definitely have proof of postage.

Thanks for all the help.

In future send by Special Delivery and pay the extra for consequential loss.

Spidernick · 2 May 2016 at 10:56AM

I'm not sure of the procedures for company filing, but to my mind paper filing your SA tax return is like the hassle of going to the Post Office to get your Vehicle Excise Duty - I really don't understand why anyone who can file on-line doesn't do so.

As the OP has discovered HMRC loses things in the post (quite regularly in fact) which patently doesn't happen when filing on line and whether you are in Sydney or Sydenham the acknowledgement by HMRC is usually within a matter of minutes.

RockandGrohl · 9 May 2016 at 11:30PM

SuperHan wrote: »

£820 isn't the late fee, the late fee is £200, plus £20 for each company as you're now only 2 days in to the £10 per day charge.

You need to look further in to what the charge is before you start disputing it.

It appears our mail was crossed, as I received the email, looked into the charge, then the very next day I got a letter from a T Liu Assistant Officer at HMRC who has cancelled the late filing penalty from the 2014-2015 Self Assessment Tax return.

This now shows under HMRC website:

Due Date Description Amount (£)
25 Mar 2016 Late filing penalty (adj) 0.00
25 Mar 2016 Partnership late filing penalty 2665764587 (adj) 0.00
02 Jun 2016 Partnership daily penalty 2665764587 820.00

Partnership Daily Penalty... £820...

Is it possible they cancelled my charge for Self-Assessment, but not the Partnership one?

I need to contact HMRC about this... I'd prefer to speak to this T Liu but will have to go through phone I assume.

What I'm confused about is why the £820 charge sticks. I didn't pay the £100x2 charge because I disputed it. I successfully disputed it, yet the charge still remains.

Royal Mail lost my tax-return, I've now got a bill for £820 + £XX every day.

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free