Sign on and risk tax bill?

ceridwen

Well - I tend to be sympathetic to benefit claimants etc - I've been there.

BUT - the phrase "wanting jam on it" IS coming to mind. You've had the benefit of a lot of extra income over the years (with all that tax money your husband has held onto) and now you want that 6 months worth of non means-tested benefit that is all that married people get basically if their O.H. is earning. Jam on top and cream as well is what this strikes me as.

The country is extremely broke now and genuine claimants and pensioners who have always paid their tax okay are suffering from the low levels of income they are expected to manage on - because the country doesnt have enough money - because people dont pay the tax they should do.

You may not be the "guilty party" directly - but you are married to him and surely must have some influence over him. Personally - I would be turning round to him if he were my O.H. and saying "I know I am entitled to that 6 months of benefit now - but I would not be happy claiming it - knowing that you have kept back tax equivalent to a LOT more than that. So - I wont be claiming it. Thank you VERY much for that - you've just cost me money personally because of what you have done - because my conscience wont let me do that. Now - I'm not happy at all about all the tax you owe - lets sit right down and discuss how much it is and what we are going to do about it and from here on in you are going "legit" - you DO want to stay with me dont you?"

There is the little matter unconnected to that of - if hes lying to the Government - are they the only ones? I would think that probably makes him more capable than a lot of husbands of lying to you as well? How can you be sure that he isnt? Sounds like the sort of person who could easily tell a pack of lies to cover up having a mistress for instance and not blink.

mrspoppycat

We have been together for just over 2 years and married for less than 1 and have no joint accounts. I have been the main earner as he earns approx 11k a year. I only asked the question as the bank wont help reorganise my finances unless I am registered as unemployed. I wasnt going to claim any monies as I have enough to keep going for a few months if the bank help me.
He has not deliberatly avoided paying, the tax office has been informed but have done nothing about it.

Zazen999

mrspoppycat wrote: »

He has not deliberatly avoided paying, the tax office has been informed but have done nothing about it.

Sorry, are you saying he is registered as self employed, and not been sent/filled out a self assessment tax form and thus not paid any tax?

Even if this were the case, the money that he has put aside to pay his tax bill should still be sitting there, surely?

I've never know the tax office not to 'do anything about' someone when they register for tax as self employed.

marksoton

mrspoppycat wrote: »

We have been together for just over 2 years and married for less than 1 and have no joint accounts. I have been the main earner as he earns approx 11k a year. I only asked the question as the bank wont help reorganise my finances unless I am registered as unemployed. I wasnt going to claim any monies as I have enough to keep going for a few months if the bank help me.
He has not deliberatly avoided paying, the tax office has been informed but have done nothing about it.

Err, the onus is on him to pay his taxes !!

Nanuq

The tax office can make mistakes, and it could be that he was overlooked once. It happened to me when I was self-employed some years back. I did inform the tax office but forms weren't sent out. I mistakenly believed that because my profits were below the threshold, I didn't need to file a tax return. Luckily they were understanding when it came to light.

Nowadays tax returns can be filed online though, and your OH earns well over the threshold, so he's in a sticky situation to say the least!

Hopefully you can convince him to contact them and explain he's overlooked filing his taxes, and come to an arrangement to sort things out. They might be more sympathetic if he owns up to a mistake than is 'found out'.

bunny999

You can register as unemployed but not claim benefit

hanny83_2

Have they not sent your husband letters about underpaying his NI contributions and asking him what he has been up to for the last few years?