What to do when HMRC says you owe tax?

fantasyvn

This week I received a letter from HMRC saying that last year, I owe them more than £ 600 .

Is there anything I can do, or do I have to pay them now? This is the first time I received a letter like this, so I am confused.

FYI, I am an office professional working for a media company.

Thank you.

jobbingmusician

I think they have lots of contact telephone numbers, don't they? My first step would be to ring them.

xylophone

Is the calculation shown?

fantasyvn

No, there is no detail or calculation. They simply said I owe them money.

xylophone

Then you need to contact HMRC to establish why they think you owe them money and to ask for the calculation in writing.

fantasyvn

Thank you, xylophone. I will do that.

chrismac1

Have a look around this site. There are probably a hundred similar posts like yours, you are not alone. Much depends on:

1. Whether HMRC have got their sums right. Sometimes their abacus has lost a bead or two!

2. Which tax year is in question - the earlier the better!

3. Whose mess-up it was if we're talking about a few years back.

GlynD

Xylophone is totally correct. Write to them and ask for an explanation. If you have patience you never know what can happen. I had a bill from them for £2,500 and challenged it, only to find as the weeks went on that THEY OWED ME approx £10,000.

Mikeyorks

fantasyvn wrote: »

No, there is no detail or calculation. They simply said I owe them money.

So is the 'letter' a P800 or a P2? Or - do you complete SA Returns?

They don't normally claim an underpayment totally devoid of explanation.

TadleyBaggie

Same happened to me, when I got the P800 I spotted they had not taken into account private pension contibutions as a higher rate tax payer. Turned out they owed me money instead!

fantasyvn

Many thanks to everyone for your helpful replies. I really appreciate the forum.