Will the self-assessment forms cease?

verntern

I am 67 years old and retired. Years ago I declared some untaxed payments for ad-hoc consultancy work I notified under 'other untaxed income'. I was not self-employed. Now my income is my local authority pension and government pension (taxes deducted at source). My building society savings (tax deducted at source) and some ISA's. HMRC continue to send me an annual self-assessment form to complete. All my tax is now paid through PAYE. This annual form is irritating. I religiously copy the details from my P60. Enter the details of building society interest that has had tax deducted and then the rest of the form has nothing to enter. Surely, HMRC know my income from from the data they get from my pension providors and the building societies? Just wondering when this annual return might cease? Thank you for any responses.

chrismac1

If your self-assessment returns have not generated either a tax repayment or payment, I recommend writing and asking them to remove you from the database as someone to fill in a return, setting out the reasons as you've just posted. I got one of my clients out of a tax return by doing this - no longer a client of course, but it was the right thing to do.

If your tax returns result in cash moving either way, they are unlikely to accede to your request. But the tax-free allowance increases by 1,000 in April, and when it does I have another couple of pensioner clients I am going to write this sort of letter for. So don't give up hope!

verntern

chrismac1 wrote: »

If your self-assessment returns have not generated either a tax repayment or payment, I recommend writing and asking them to remove you from the database as someone to fill in a return, setting out the reasons as you've just posted. I got one of my clients out of a tax return by doing this - no longer a client of course, but it was the right thing to do.

If your tax returns result in cash moving either way, they are unlikely to accede to your request. But the tax-free allowance increases by 1,000 in April, and when it does I have another couple of pensioner clients I am going to write this sort of letter for. So don't give up hope!

Many thanks chrismac1. Reassuring information and advice.

kickwhamstunner

Little known fact: If you put a cross in the box on page 5 that says "If you are likely to owe tax for 2010-11 on income other than employed earnings and pensions and you do not want us to use your PAYE code to collect that tax during this year, put X in the box" then you will automatically be sent a return the following year.

Also, you're 67 - is your income of a level that reduces the age-related personal allowances? If it is, then you're staying in SA as long as this is the case.

Mikeyorks

kickwhamstunner wrote: »

Also, you're 67 - is your income of a level that reduces the age-related personal allowances? If it is, then you're staying in SA as long as this is the case.

Not the case. I know a number of people in that category who have been nowhere near SA.

HMRC wrote:

If you receive a reduced age-related allowance because you're 65 but your income is over a certain level (£22,900 for the 2010-11 tax year), you'll need to complete a tax return. But there are exceptions, for example if your tax affairs are very straightforward

The 'straightforward' caveat is widely used and has also taken thousands of 40% people out of SA in recent years

kickwhamstunner

jimmo wrote: »

Once a year, I think its in December but others may know, HMRC does a Return Selection process to pick which people will get a Tax Return the following April.

Usually mid-late February.

suso

Mikeyorks wrote: »

Not the case. I know a number of people in that category who have been nowhere near SA.



The 'straightforward' caveat is widely used and has also taken thousands of 40% people out of SA in recent years

Sadly guidance these days revolve around,

does the customer have reduced age related allowances, if yes then put them in SA,

SIMRAA (simple reduced age allowances) seems to be a thing of the past

Mikeyorks

suso wrote: »

Sadly guidance these days revolve around,

does the customer have reduced age related allowances, if yes then put them in SA,

That might be the guidance - but it's far from the reality. I know, as I said, a number of people who wholly lose their age related - right back to basic - but none of them have been (re) invited back into SA