HMRC - Hardship?

joeblack066

Ok, so all my tax returns at et al are processed and up to date (from years ago) and I have now lodged an appeal for a refund of £2600 overpaid from 05 + 06 (this has been going on since before they changed the deadline rules or how far back you can go, which is part of my appeal).
However HMRC still want another £450 off me before Christmas, which I had just about managed to budget for, and then I lost a full week last week due to not being able to travel (we were very hard hit in my area snow wise). This is going to make it nigh on impossible for me to pay this £450 on the 22nd Dec, but I have been told that if you try to change an arrangement made with the time to pay dept, they will charge interest on a daily basis. If I pay it, I will not be able to pay my bills in Jan, and will have to choose between rent and fuel, despite living on beans for the month.
Does anyone know if I can put a hold on this payment whilst the appeal is looked at? I have been told by HMRC say that it will be looked at by 14/01/11! I am at my wits end now. Thx.

emilyjayne_3

HMRC will be charging you interest on a daily basis anyway, even with a time to pay interest is not frozen. So changing the arrangement doesnt affect the interest. Phone them and explain you are waiting on a repayment, and cannot afford to pay £450 before Jan as the weather impeded your earnings. They should be understanding if you explain fully.
Also, don't worry about the daily interest, at the moment it's not a huge amount.

joeblack066

Ok, I'll give it a go - thanks.

Mikeyorks

joeblack066 wrote: »

but I have been told that if you try to change an arrangement made with the time to pay dept, they will charge interest on a daily basis.

Post #2 is spot on ..... so little point adding much. On £450 the interest is only accruing at £1 per month .... and we're not in surcharge territory at the moment. If you use the twin points that you're hoping for a refund / adverse weather (not the first call they will have had) ..... you should get it resolved.

joeblack066

Just to update - phoned HMRC and they have no record of my appeal but couldn't say whether that was because it hasn't arrived or they haven't logged it yet. They have no way of checking. Used the Royal Mail Tracker, and the letter is still "in their system" from 11 days ago, and therefore is not yet delivered (they blame the weather!). So incensed was I that I called my MP, and his PA is so horrified at the way that HMRC have trated me for the last 15 months that she has insisted I go to see the MP to give him all the gen. Ooer missus!

Mikeyorks

joeblack066 wrote: »

and the letter is still "in their system" from 11 days ago, and therefore is not yet delivered (they blame the weather!).

That may not be the case. Where Royal Mail deliver 'signed for' to high volume mail offices they obtain a single signature covering all the relevant mail (they stick all the barcodes on a sheet(s) of A4). With such mail they rarely seem to go back and update the tracking.

FOREVER21

joeblack066 wrote: »

Just to update - phoned HMRC and they have no record of my appeal but couldn't say whether that was because it hasn't arrived or they haven't logged it yet. They have no way of checking. Used the Royal Mail Tracker, and the letter is still "in their system" from 11 days ago, and therefore is not yet delivered (they blame the weather!). So incensed was I that I called my MP, and his PA is so horrified at the way that HMRC have trated me for the last 15 months that she has insisted I go to see the MP to give him all the gen. Ooer missus!

Go to your MP by all means but don't expect him/her to make any difference, when I worked in Revenue a letter from a MP was given priority, to-day friends still working for HMRC say they get that many MP letters that they are "just placed in the pile""

suso

Depends on what year you are trying to get a refund for.

In this thread you mention 2005-06, any alterations to that return must have been received by April 2010.

In a previous thread you mention getting a determination changed, to reflect a submitted return
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2851018

If this relates to the year 2005-06 - then even a submitted return will not change the determination, (unless you owe more tax then the return is used) if it was submitted after April 2010

Your only chance of appeal would be if you have submitted a return with the time scales ordered by the court when the determination was raised

joeblack066

Update again - HMRC cannot say whether they have received my appeal or not, even tho the date given has now passed. The customer service agent on the phone has said that she will email the department, but it could take 3 weeks for them to action the email. I am at my wits end about this now...... :-(

joeblack066

suso wrote: »

Depends on what year you are trying to get a refund for.

In this thread you mention 2005-06, any alterations to that return must have been received by April 2010.

In a previous thread you mention getting a determination changed, to reflect a submitted return
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2851018

If this relates to the year 2005-06 - then even a submitted return will not change the determination, (unless you owe more tax then the return is used) if it was submitted after April 2010

Your only chance of appeal would be if you have submitted a return with the time scales ordered by the court when the determination was raised

Have just noticed your reply - this has been going on (documented at HMRC) since Sept 2009 so I am hopeful that it will be acknowledged as prior to the April 2010 change. Thanks.