Just received tax demand from 2004 for.....8p

BritishBeef

I have just received through the post a tax demand consisting of 4 pages and first class postage for 8p dating back to 2004!

What an absolute waste of time and money. It cost far more to print it all and send it to me! I am now a stay at home Dad so they won't be able to take it from my tax contributions like the letter says they will.

I hate the Inland Revenue as they have stuffed up my wife's tax royally over the last 5 years and keep sending huge demands and when we query them the amount keeps changing because they keep finding 'errors' so we are now having to pay an accountant to sort it all out.

Therefore I don't want to pay this stupid amount on principle. Do the Statutes Of Limitations not come into play here as it relates to 8 years ago?

What would happen if I ignored it? Would they take me to court for 8p? I cannot believe they don't have a system in place to write off debts under say £1. It's ridiculous!

lkmc01

WoW!!!!

How stupid :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

ceeforcat

BritishBeef wrote: »

I have just received through the post a tax demand consisting of 4 pages and first class postage for 8p dating back to 2004!

What an absolute waste of time and money. It cost far more to print it all and send it to me! I am now a stay at home Dad so they won't be able to take it from my tax contributions like the letter says they will.

I hate the Inland Revenue as they have stuffed up my wife's tax royally over the last 5 years and keep sending huge demands and when we query them the amount keeps changing because they keep finding 'errors' so we are now having to pay an accountant to sort it all out.


Therefore I don't want to pay this stupid amount on principle. Do the Statutes Of Limitations not come into play here as it relates to 8 years ago?

What would happen if I ignored it? Would they take me to court for 8p? I cannot believe they don't have a system in place to write off debts under say £1. It's ridiculous!

I would ring HMRC and request whether the amount could be paid in instalments.

grey_gym_sock

it's a bit of a slippery slope ... if they let ppl off 8p, next time it might be 9p, and then where will it end?

how about in 17 equal instalments?

MABLE

BritishBeef wrote: »

What would happen if I ignored it? Would they take me to court for 8p? I cannot believe they don't have a system in place to write off debts under say £1. It's ridiculous!

Just like me receiving a council demand for 1p underpayment of council tax for one month and cost 25p 2nd class stamp then.

nad1611

Have to say having dealt with HMRC and the Tax Credits section dealing with Income, I'm not at all surprised at the ridiculous demand.
On several occasions now I have people from HMRC tell me I'm wrong wrong wrong, only to backtrack when they realise I'm right, I despair at their incompetence. I've spoken to about 7 people at different times and I've had to explain things to them about Tax Relief and Pension Contributions!!!

ceh209

Do what my OH's mum did when she got a demand for 2p...

Tape the coin(s) to the letter and post it back to them.

She never heard from them about it again :rotfl:

sorcerer

You should say that you will go to the nearest HMRC office and pay it, but make sure you pay it 8 nice new shiny pennies! And count each one out to them to make sure they get all 8p. :-)

System

When you say 'tax demand' what exactly did you receive? It seems very unlikely it was a 'demand'. Is there a form number on the document you received. It's usually in the bottom left of page 1.

jgh

I expect it was actually a tax account statement, any due amount less than £100 (ish) is carried forward to the next year by adjusting your tax code.

System

jgh wrote: »

I expect it was actually a tax account statement, any due amount less than £100 (ish) is carried forward to the next year by adjusting your tax code.

That's what I was thinking. The 8p has probably been outstanding for years. And the statement has been triggered by unrelated activity on the SA account.