Finally - my current SOA! Hit me with it!

albacookie

bondidreamer wrote: »

With regard to your professional subscriptions, do you fill in a tax return? You may be able to get tax relief on this?

You also can go back a few years,

I would contact any accountant friends you have to see if they will do you a favour, or maybe contact HMRC.

You can definitely claim tax back - I pay 2 of them at £300 odd a year and only realised this year! I wrote to my local tax offce with details of the organisation and how much I paid and they altered my tax code to make up the difference.

Edit - you can back date 6 years.

niccatw

Oneday77 wrote: »

I would check you CT by the way, if your lodger is a student thenm you qualify for 25% reduction. If you already have that and your mortgage is for 85k you might be in too high a band.

It's Band B and that's with the 25% reduction. It's pretty much in keeping with the rest of the flats so I don't think I'm brave enough to question it!

As for your overpayments does the Unsecured Loan from NR have a seperate account number? If so make the DD the minimum for both the mortgage and loan, then setup a SO to pay the over paymet, that will give you more control when it gets paid, how much and how often

It's the same account, so even if I set up a SO, they'd split it between the two.


Don't use the OD, it seems easy now but will it be paid back in 12 months? Personally I would ask to have it reduced to £100 and keep it for emergencies. I hated seeing my avaliable balance drop by the OD on payday

I completely agree with you! I was shocked that they offered that much to be honest! I'm leaving it until all the direct debits have been switched - just in case (even though A&L apparently guarantee no charges during switching), but then I think I'll do exactly as you suggest!

On the SL are they both the earn over £15,000 pay 9% of your wage variety or is the Strath one the older pay when you earn over £2400 a month version. I would get it defered and use that money towards the other debts.

The Strath one is the old style one. I did know I could defer it, but somehow it never occurred to me to defer it and pay of the loans first!

Thanks!

niccatw

albacookie wrote: »

You can definitely claim tax back - I pay 2 of them at £300 odd a year and only realised this year! I wrote to my local tax offce with details of the organisation and how much I paid and they altered my tax code to make up the difference.

Edit - you can back date 6 years.

Excellent. I'm 6 years qualifies so if I get into gear and get that letter done tomorrow, I'll hopefully get it all back!

bondidreamer

niccatw wrote: »

Thank you bondidreamer - not I've never claimed tax back on them. I'll look into that.

Most of my friends are in health and education, not sure I know any accountants (if I did, hopefully they would have shouted at me a long time ago and I wouldn't owe quite as much as I do )

Accountants are very quiet at this time of year (Feb & March), it may be worth finding one (that a friend can refer) and offering them a contingent fee (i.e % of your tax saving)

Oneday77

niccatw wrote: »

The Strath one is the old style one. I did know I could defer it, but somehow it never occurred to me to defer it and pay of the loans first!

Thanks!

You can defer it every year until you earn over a certain value, pretty sure it is about £2400 a month. As it is inflation that you pay on the loan for interest it is very cheap to put to the side whil;e you pay dearer debts.
Also even while in deferment you can still pay by SO towards it when you want

niccatw

Oneday77 wrote: »

You can defer it every year until you earn over a certain value, pretty sure it is about £2400 a month. As it is inflation that you pay on the loan for interest it is very cheap to put to the side whil;e you pay dearer debts.
Also even while in deferment you can still pay by SO towards it when you want

I didn't realise it was that high a month; I just assumed I was over the threshold. I guess I thought they's send me a deferrment form if I was elligible. But I guess not if you are already "in repayment". was on their site earlier today too - I'll go back and look deeper.

Happytogetdebtfree

what is it you do?? ive just sorted out my tax deduction for work and they only giove you a certain amount back then they change the tax code to allow for you to recieve the cash back via monthly tax deductions ... its all abit confusing to me but whatever save me cash x

niccatw

Hey HTGDF

I'm a speech and language therapist so I need to pay a fee to the Health Professions Council and to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Been trying to keep that quiet on the forums because my typing is so bad - and, given my job, I really should take the time to proof-read! :-D

Happytogetdebtfree

HAHA yes well, im a nurse, so i would assume that you will get tax deduction, just ring the local tax department, wjhat you have to do is then write a letter for the previous years, i think we get an 120 allowance per year so about 10 per month but normally if your claiming for more years they give you so much via cheque then they pay you in your wage with a higher tax code or however it works x

niccatw

Thanks HTGDF, will look online just now to see if I can find out who to call. If I could get it back-dated, that would be a nice little extra :-D