How long before the tax man visits?

Becky

After submitting a self-assessment tax form, how long after can the tax man choose to visit you (if they are intending to do so)? :rolleyes:

I submitted my 2004/2005 form a few weeks ago and just wondered!

Cook_County

I am not sure why you think they have the staffing to visit people who file tax returns?

You have self-asessed your tax and presumably plan on paying any tax due on 31 January. Any reason for desiring additional company?

Savvy_Sue

I think they can go back 6 years into your past tax affairs, had a quick look on their site but didn't really know what I was looking for ... I'm sure someone else will know better than me!

Cook_County

six years is not relevant unless you are a major international fraudster...12 months after the due date is the time for them to audit or you to repair the return. then it is done, but given that we have a self-assessment system nothing should happen beyond computer processing of the form unless they choose to audit the return...

Becky

I am not after the company.

It was a simple question. People get visits, do they not? A friend of mine is being investigated, nowt dodgy.

Minerva_2

I'm in the middle of a tax enquiry at the moment and there has been no mention of wanting to visit me in person. It has all been done so far by letter.

I would imagine that it would be very expensive for the Revenue to visit everyone who they select for a tax enquiry.

Minerva

Savvy_Sue

Becky wrote:

I am not after the company.

It was a simple question. People get visits, do they not? A friend of mine is being investigated, nowt dodgy.

And I've got two simple questions of my own for Cook-County, who obviously knows a lot about HMRC.

I know that HMRC will repay to you tax if you've overpaid in previous years, but I think there's a time limit on how far back this can go - possibly that's where my 6 years comes from. Am I remembering right, or roughly right?

And leaving aside the fines for not filing on time etc etc etc, if HMRC do decide to trawl back through your previous tax returns, is there a limit on how far back they will go? I am asking because I'd like to know, not because I'm wondering if there's some income I can get away with not declaring if I can manage to conceal it for long enough! (I wish!)

Shep_3

Savvy_Sue wrote:

I know that HMRC will repay to you tax if you've overpaid in previous years, but I think there's a time limit on how far back this can go - possibly that's where my 6 years comes from. Am I remembering right, or roughly right?

And leaving aside the fines for not filing on time etc etc etc, if HMRC do decide to trawl back through your previous tax returns, is there a limit on how far back they will go? I am asking because I'd like to know, not because I'm wondering if there's some income I can get away with not declaring if I can manage to conceal it for long enough! (I wish!)

Thanks the Statute of Limitations the HMRC cannot open an enquiry into a tax return going back more than six years - unless they can either show fraud or negligence on the part of the taxpayer or they can demonstrate incorrect tax has been declared in a later return which then allows them to go back up to six years from that faulty return.

Open cases involving a previously declared shortfall in the payment of tax are a different matter. Due to criticism of the HMRC by the National Audit Office regarding it's failure to collect unpaid tax assessments the HMRC has been going through any open cases it can find - some going back over 20 years. You have been warned

Becky

Minerva wrote:

I would imagine that it would be very expensive for the Revenue to visit everyone who they select for a tax enquiry.

Minerva

So, no chance of an Alan Partridge-type visit where I have to tell them I threw my receipts over the side of a ferry?

Cook_County

Shep is about right - BUT the case is closed on the 31 January following the due date (unless the return is filed late). YOU can still claim official error for further 5 years but THEY cannot re-open the return except in cases of fraud.

Enquries are almost all settled by correspondence. HMRC are looking for large scale and international tax evasion to raise money. Unless you fall in this category you are very low priority and almost certainly safe...

4nick8

Enquries are almost all settled by correspondence. HMRC are looking for large scale and international tax evasion to raise money. Unless you fall in this category you are very low priority and almost certainly safe...[/QUOTE]

Oh really,and what do you base this statement on?