MSE News: Hurry to avoid a £100 self assessment tax fine

Former_MSE_Helen

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"Almost a million taxpayers risk a £100 for filing their self assessment tax return late, if they fail to act soon ..."

Read the full story:
Hurry to avoid a £100 self assessment tax fine

Stephen_Leak

It doesn't mention any eligibility requirements on the radio ad's. I never knew Moira Stewart could sound so menacing. In my case, I can't afford any fines and I evidently owe nearly £1000 tax on my BT pension for last year, so I see no option other than to do what they're telling me to do, and find some way of paying what I owe.

jamesd

If you're a normal PAYE tax payer, including on pension income, and not already in self-assessment, just phone your local tax office to let them know. They will tell you whether you need to complete a tax return and if they do tell you, you have some time after being told to complete and return it. It's more likely that they would just adjust the tax code for a normal PAYE person.

msneath

Want an extension on the deadline without been fined? Ring up and ask for a new password, extends the deadline another 2 weeks.

cerysellen

msneath wrote: »

Want an extension on the deadline without been fined? Ring up and ask for a new password, extends the deadline another 2 weeks.

Is this correct?

Davesnave

cerysellen wrote: »

Is this correct?

I hope so. Desperate times call for desperate measures!

On Monday morning, unable to get through to the HMRC helpline, I drove 30 miles to my nearest tax office, only to be told "Oh we don't deal with all that on-line stuff!" :mad::mad:

I know most of their furniture is screwed to the floor, but even so, it was lucky the pillock who came out with that line steered me to a 'priority phone,' which was answered immediately.:)

"Oh yeah," says the voice on the other end, "I can see you have registered and need a pass. OK I will get that out to you."

"Err, thanks."

I am still waiting. :mad:

Yesterday, around lunchtime, I placed an order for some spares with a firm in Yorkshire. Those arrived at 8.30 this morning by snail mail. Vive la difference!


But it gets worse. Yesterday, after spending some time looking at the various software options, I decided to download Andica's. At least that went without some of the glitches that others have experiened, so it's on my computer and ready to go........


....except that 24 hours after requesting it, Andica have still not emailed the password to unlock it. :mad:

I think the whole system stinks. Is it possible to go back to paper filing next year, or have they got me by the goolies now?

dori2o

Davesnave wrote: »

I hope so. Desperate times call for desperate measures!

On Monday morning, unable to get through to the HMRC helpline, I drove 30 miles to my nearest tax office, only to be told "Oh we don't deal with all that on-line stuff!" :mad::mad:

I know most of their furniture is screwed to the floor, but even so, it was lucky the pillock who came out with that line steered me to a 'priority phone,' which was answered immediately.:)

"Oh yeah," says the voice on the other end, "I can see you have registered and need a pass. OK I will get that out to you."

"Err, thanks."

I am still waiting. :mad:

Yesterday, around lunchtime, I placed an order for some spares with a firm in Yorkshire. Those arrived at 8.30 this morning by snail mail. Vive la difference!


But it gets worse. Yesterday, after spending some time looking at the various software options, I decided to download Andica's. At least that went without some of the glitches that others have experiened, so it's on my computer and ready to go........


....except that 24 hours after requesting it, Andica have still not emailed the password to unlock it. :mad:

I think the whole system stinks. Is it possible to go back to paper filing next year, or have they got me by the goolies now?

YOU have had since the 6th April 2011 to fill in your tax return. YOU could have submitted a paper tax return before the 31st October 2011.

There is only 1 person to blame for leaving it so late.

YOU!

tenuissent

A word of encouragement: I sent a paper tax return in 4 days before the October 31st deadline, asking for a proof of posting. Devastated to be told it arrived after the 31st and I was to be fined £100 in spite of the fact I pay no tax on my miniscule income.



I wrote a letter appealing against it (and had by then lost my proof of posting) and they cancelled it! In the letter I asked if I could file it on line instead, and learned that making a paper return disqualifies you from making an on line return.

Davesnave

dori2o wrote: »

YOU have had since the 6th April 2011 to fill in your tax return. YOU could have submitted a paper tax return before the 31st October 2011.

There is only 1 person to blame for leaving it so late.

YOU!

Thanks for that. You don't work for HMRC, do you? Ah, a little research shows that you do.

I'm not trying to escape blame for being slow, or for making what you'd probably regard as a stupid error earlier in the tax year. My point is that having accepted that and tried to sort things out over the last few weeks, I've got nowhere. I may as well not have bothered. HMRC and the software company have their own pace and that's it. Tough.

I don't work in an office with steady hours and climate, so it makes sense for me to deal with detailed paperwork at this time of year. I don't suppose you'd understand that either.

There's one bit of joy though. Now the figures are sorted, you lot owe me a lot more than I thought, fine or no fine.