Hoping for some help

lika_86

Hi all,

As the thread title suggests, I'm hoping for some help. I normally post elsewhere but lurk here sometimes and so hope that someone might be able to help me with some advice.

My boyfriend (been together five years now) moved in with me a year or so ago into a shared house and about five months ago moved into a flat together. Once we moved in here he started getting his post redirected here rather than relying on his old housemate to send it down.

All fine and good, we both earn decent salaries, I have a bit of debt on a credit card (less than £1k which I am getting down, having been in more debt in the past few years), I know that he has a fair bit of debt from before we met (he is older than me and has been married before and I think was always just overgenerous to others, buying holidays, etc). He never really talks about it (and won't) saying that it's his and he's dealing with it. So I don't know how much it is but suspect it's in the region of £30k plus!

We aren't financially linked (no joint accounts etc) so while his debt has bothered me as I would like a future together unburdened by that, it hasn't been a big concern.

Yesterday a letter came from HMRC for him, he opened it and added it to a pile of bank statements/credit card statements etc he has on a shelf. I must admit that given that he won't talk about his finances, I am guilty of going through them sometimes just to keep an eye on them a bit.

The letter from HMRC is a letter for overdue corporation tax in the range of £8k. Apparently they have contacted him before about this and it's now overdue and accruing interest. It says that if he does not contact them then they will pass it to a private debt collector. The letter gives options as to ways to pay (ie. cheque, bank transfer etc).

My concern is that I don't think that he has this money (otherwise he would have paid). Obviously he should have saved part of it from his pay when he was taking a salary from the business (now closed), but I very much doubt he has as he isn't a saver and doesn't plan money the way I would.

I think his mate was paying him a lump sum out of the equity of the house he was in before he moved in with me (he was on the mortgage) but if that happened, I doubt there is anything left of it or put aside to pay this.

I don't have the money to pay this for him (at least not without taking out a loan and or using overdrafts).

So, my question is, what are the options? Does anyone know if HMRC would allow payment in installments? Or will we have to try and find this money very quickly? I know everything in my head counsels against putting myself more in debt to help someone else but it might be our only option if they won't let us set up a payment plan.

Any advice would be massively appreciated. I suppose I'm going to have to find a way of broaching it with him and getting him to tell me the truth rather than fobbing me off. Thanks in advance.

ps. I have a rather busy day at work ahead so if you have questions, I will be back to respond, just maybe not quickly.

19lottie82

HMRC will usually allow you to pay in instalments.

Also, be aware that if you ignore their letters they will add on "fines".

The best thing he can do is get in touch with them and try and sort it out.

If your boyfriend doesn't want to deal with any of this, there's prob not much you can do I'm afraid. He needs to want to help himself.

PS DONT get a loan for him, it's a recipe for disaster.

ladybez

As lottie says above, HMRC will usually let you pay in instalments but your bf will need to speak to them

The last thing you should do is get a loan for him. don't thins about a joint loan either, as that will tie you together financially ad may give you problems in the future.

I have to say I'm not getting a good feeling about this relationship.x

lika_86

Thank you both. I think I need to speak to him and ask him what he's doing about it. I just hate looking like I'm noseying around through his stuff. I want him to trust me to be able to tell me himself if he's having problems.