Help / Advice - does ESC A19 apply?

System

chrismac1 wrote: »

Just look up all the threads on this site about Esc A19 over the past couple of years. Then look at the postings from the various HMRC stooges - who have all now disappeared in defeat - saying I, and others, were talking rot and getting peoples' hopes up unduly.

Then look to the bottom of the threads when the posters returned months - or even years! - later saying "Thanks, they coughed up."

Then tell me it's a waste of time. My advice is based purely and simply on statistics and I estimate an 80% strike rate. Whether that is a waste of time is up to the poster. if it takes 10 letters for an 80% shot to get back £3,000 most people will consider that time well spent, if it is £100 they won't.

I agree to the extent that if someone really meets the terms of the concession they should pursue it as far as it takes - to the Adjudicator if need be. In those cases persistence is vital.

But it does no-one any favours encouraging claims where ESC A19 clearly doesnt apply. Unless the hope is HMRC will make a wrong decision and give up tax by mistake.

I'm not talking about OP here, just speaking generally.

antrobus

chrismac1 wrote: »

...Then tell me it's a waste of time. ....

You've already told the OP it's a waste of time.

chrismac1 wrote: »

...If the sums are right by all means try Esc A19 but the odds are you'll write 5 letters and the answer will still be No.

chrismac1

Oops, forgot this one was still within the time limits. Even though I deal with HMRC all the time I still find it hard that they give themselves years to deal with basic stuff, and expect me to reply to complex stuff within 30 days.

markjb_2

Thanks to everyone for their responses - have been away and am back now.

So this looks to stem from when my wife changed jobs in late 2007 and her P45 appears to have been handled incorrectly, resulting in the whole of 2008-2009 she paid basic tax and not higher tax.

Not receiving a tax notice meant that she couldn't check but also as her PAYE is operated by her employer, she had no reason to doubt she was underpaying.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Regards

MJB

jem16

markjb wrote: »

So this looks to stem from when my wife changed jobs in late 2007 and her P45 appears to have been handled incorrectly, resulting in the whole of 2008-2009 she paid basic tax and not higher tax.

So what happened to the P45 when she changed jobs? Did she hand it to the new employer?

What tax code was she put on at the start of her new job?

Not receiving a tax notice meant that she couldn't check but also as her PAYE is operated by her employer, she had no reason to doubt she was underpaying.

I'm afraid you cannot use that as an excuse as your wife should have been more vigilant on changing jobs to ensure that her tax affairs were correct.