Having a panic - HMRC Final Notice help please!

vka1

Hi All,

Words of wisdom needed please!

I was self employed until last year and paid my tax bill until the date my self empoyment ceased. I've yet to finish this year's tax return (I know...it's mostly done...be gentle with me please!), which should be £0 as I'm now an employee and pay a healthy amount monthly through payroll.

Anyway, I got a bill from them for about £600 for a period after I ceased to be self emplyed. Calculated by them, which i'll now have to reclaim.

I've been waiting for a payment to come for some extra work I did to cover it. So I didn't pay up by the end of july as I should have. Again, stupid, stupid, stupid. I got a reminder letter a couple of weeks ago, which again I put to one side waiting for the payment to come in so I could avoid having to pay the bill on a credit card.

Yesterday I recieved a Final notice (dated 9th Sept) which says they will now apply for a summary warrant, instruct a sheriff officer and seize assets to cover the bill if I don't act. So, I acted and paid the bill on a credit card today, which i'll pay off when my cheque comes in.

Here's the rub....I missed the post man today and have a card telling me I need to collect a recorded delivery letter. So, I'm now panicing. I won't be able to find out the content of that letter, and if it's from HMRC, until Monday. Can they possibly have instructed someone so quickly and if they have, what's likely to happen? Or am I just overracting?

The irony is, after a few months off the DFW path after my father's death, I'm now spreadsheet-tastic, sorting out everything, and had a plan for this. Maybe I'm just too late.......and I am truly an idiot,

V

pure_dead_dopey

HMRC are a priority debt, you shouldn't be paying a credit card before them. If you can't pay both, then you need to pay HMRC first and make an arrangement for the CC. They also like to be kept in the loop so I would phone and explain circumstances, they add interest to outstanding tax bill and can take you to court. its a debt you just have to sort out.

vka1

Thanks and you are right.

I haven't paid a credit card before them. My bills are up to date. I just wanted to avoid using a credit card to pay them. I was waiting for a payment to clear in my current account so I could pay them in cash. As it is, i'll now have to pay the extra off my credit card when the cash clears.

I started my tax return months ago, but hadn't done the last bit. I've now finished it, and the daft thing is that it now looks like they owe me aout £800 which i'll need to claw back.

I'm just a bit shocked by how heavy handed their correspondence is!

Trying to call them and speak to a human being takes the patience of a saint.....

V

chanz4

Its HMRC , they are always like this as its government money.

KiKi

vka1 wrote: »

I'm just a bit shocked by how heavy handed their correspondence is!

HMRC don't know you're waiting for some money so you don't have to pay by credit card - they can't possibly know that. All they know is that they've not had a payment despite sending you reminders - so now they've warned you. I'm not being unkind, just pointing out that from their perspective, they're not being heavy-handed. Individuals have months to get tax returns in (I'm both SE and employed myself), so chasing you a year on is quite fair.

HMRC would far rather co-operate and work with you to get their money than send bailiffs around, so you'll probably be fine. Seeing as there's absolutely nothing you can do until Monday, stop panicking, wait for the letter, then call them to explain you've paid.

KiKi