Self Assessment then Tax Code Changed Radically

crhultra

New to the forum but could do with some advice...

In tax year 12/13 I had a uniquely high salary which was driven up by a large bonus received when my employer at the time was sold. This took me over the 50k mark and due to this I was asked to SA in August by HMRC. Child benefit being the reason.

Did my SA online , declared my child benefit and paid the £90 I owed. Thought that was the end of it.

I changed jobs last June and my code altered slightly at that time but was set at 837 which is similar to before. However, I have now had new coding notice changing it to 573 apparently based on my SA. My salary has dropped by 6k in my new job yet the revenue think I will earn 60k this tax year! Not going to be anywhere near yet their change in coding is going to hit me by £100 per month.

Can't get through to HMRC as is the norm. Wondered what my options were, argue it now or wait until when my P60 arrives and hit them for a refund. This is the first time I have done SA and also the first time my tax code has changed so much, confused by it all.

Ideas and thoughts would be appreciated.

agrinnall

I'd do it now if you can.You need to pick your time to maximise your chance of getting through to HMRC, usually 8 a.m. is the best time to try. However, the last couple of weeks of January is one of their busiest times of the year dealing with all the queries from people who have suddenly realised that they have to complete their SA by the end of the month despite having had 8 months already to get it done, so you may continue to have difficulty getting through for a few weeks.

crhultra

Followed the advice and managed to get through at 8.15. Turns out they based the coding on wrongly thinking I was receiving salary from both my old and new employer. Put them straight and have a new code coming. Thank goodness but it does beg the question about how can they be so incompetent!