PAYE Tax issue, underpayment on tax.

chrissy_stevo

Hi

This has been going on for some time and I cannot seem to get a resoloution. I will try to stick to the pertinent points and hope that somebody can maybe offer me some advice as to what I can do.

Back in March 2012 I called the HM Revenue and customs helpline to lodge a claim for "flat rate expense" for washing my work clothing, I also requested that this be backdated as far back as possible (5 years). I was advised by the telephone operator to send a letter in detailing my claim, which I did and sent back.

A few weeks later I receieved my P800 tax calculation which showed that in 2009-10 I had infact underpaid by £540.60 and that this had been reclaimed from my during the tax year 2010-11. I was lost as to how I had underpaid having been in the same job in the same tax code for 8 years so I contacted the tax office. They advised my that during 2009-10 I was logged as having a second job, I asked for detail but they would not over the phone so I asked for details to be posted. when the details arrived it showed that I had a second job at a Hospital in London (I live and work in the north east and have done all my life). There has never been any second job so due to the fact they have reclaimed the amount I feel I have actually overpaid by £540.60 and am due a refund.

I then called again to advise that I had never worked at this location and they then said that this would be passed over to the specialist team that deals with such matters and that it could take up to 6 weeks. I left it 6 weeks and called up, I was told they had no further detail but could see that the call was being worked on and that they had accepted that this was an error and that once processed I would be getting the refund. Then suddenly a letter arrived requesting all of my past employment history, I filled this in and returned to the tax office.

I waited again 4 weeks and had no response so called up once again to be advised they had no record of me ever sending the form back (in hindsight I would of sent it recorded but it came with a pre-paid envelope that I used). I explained the situation to the operator who advised me he could do nothing and would check into whether or not the form had been recieved by the relevant department.

A week later a letter comes from the tax office which I assume is my refund, upon openeing it is the same P800 I had recieved in the first place for an underpayment of £540.60 in 2009-10 which I know is incorrect and people on the phone have admitted is incorrect.

I need help and advice on what I can do now as it seems nobody on the phone can assist me and I have now called around 10 times which costs a fortune as I am on the line 15-20 minutes each time holding awaiting an advisor. The issue seems to be going around in circles and I cannot see the issue refunding what I am due when it is so clearly an error. I dare say if this was the other way round I would be getting threatening letter and fines.

Please help

Cheers

Chris.

Savvy_Sue

Make a complaint, in writing, for starters ...

I hope you kept a copy of your full employment history!

System

The new P800 could be co-incidental. The best course at this stage would be to ask the helpline to get a message to the specialist team asking for a duplicate form. They need the info to cleanse your record of the bogus employment details.

System

Send your employment history to them again by recorded delivery.

It's possible that when you rang your first employment history hadn't been processed and the second P800 purely coincidental.

HMRC won't remove the incorrect employment until they verify that it is definitely incorrect. They may need to contact the employer who sent in the pay and tax details to get them to check their records and get the correct name and national insurance number of their employee.