Does anyone understand ESC A19? Underpaid tax

Dead_in_the_ditch

I have been a PAYE taxpayer all my life and am now 63 years old. Having been made redundant in Oct 2010 and received only statutory redundancy payout of £6,000, I sent a letter to my Armed Forces pension provider and told them I should not now be paying 40% tax on my pension.
I have now received a letter from the HMRC saying I owe them over £8,000 for tax years 07/08 08/09 09/10. It is the view of HMRC that my circumstances do not meet the limited criteria under ESC A19 although they were fully aware of my gross taxable income. HMRC have a duty of care and as a PAYE tax payer it was surely up to them to calculate my tax correctly.
Do you think I stand any chance of recovering some of this £8,000 bill?:eek:

Niggles

ESC A19 is not the easiest concession to get but I have had a few successes in what would seem similar circumstances.
You have not given enough detail but if the reason for the underpayment started in 07/08 and then contined for 3 years, you have always been PAYE and you have not been completing Self Assessment then I would think it is a reasonable case.
Factors such as how many pensions/ employments you had had during the last three years and what you did on receiving these would be important factors in my view.
If your income now is under £17,000 pa then the Charity TOP might be able to help.

Dead_in_the_ditch

Hi Niggles,
Thanks very much for your reply - to put a little more meat on the bone - having now trawled through previous P60's I think this underpayment may have gone on for more years than what is being claimed by HMRC. I have been in receipt of a Forces Pension for 13 years (my only pension) and had worked in the same job for 11 years. Over this period I have never completed a self assessment the only correspondance with HMRC has been my company and pension provider forwarding P60's.
My only income now is my pension and that is below the £17,000 that you mention, however I have been unable to find a link to the charity that you mention.
Regards
John