MSE News: Self-assessment deadline looming – don't miss the 31 January deadline

afmfifgh

quietriot wrote: »

HMRC policy is that you'll have to complete a self assessment return if you have more than £2500 untaxed interest, or if the taxed interest is more than £10,000 gross.

Thanks for that - does it make any difference that we were told in March that it would only need to be done if the interest was more than £10,000.

I am wondering if there was confusion in that they perhaps meant if there was more than £10,000 taxed interest as opposed to untaxed interest.

Would there still be time to get all the registration and forms submitted now before the 31st January deadline?

Also what are the chance of a fine applying for not registering by the October cut off? Hopefully they would let them off it as we did ring in March and were told we thought that there was no need to submit one.

Pincher

You can pay the tax and send a letter or e-mail.
Assuming you have proof that you applied for a Gateway account, I don't see how HMRC can fine you.

afmfifgh

A word of warning - don't call the phone number in the MSE news article!

It is actually for the online help desk and they can't advise on your tax as I just found out having been in the queue for 30 minutes!

I was told I would need to call 0300 200 33 00

:mad:

afmfifgh

For anyone that is interested we have just got off the phone to HMRC (after finally calling the correct number and again being in the queue for another 30mins) and pleased to say they confirmed that the advice previously given by HMRC was correct and that no self assessment tax form was required to be done despite the fact that over £2,500 of untaxed interest had been paid to her as the total was below the personal allowance and it was the only income. Had there been employment of any kind they would need to be contacted as a self assessment tax return would most likely be needed even if the total income (savings + employment income) was below the personal allowance.

They also confirmed that if they were below the allowance for 2014/15 they would again not need to complete a self assessment tax form for that tax year if the income was only from savings interest.

We also recorded the conversation on a dictaphone so there is something to refer back to in the future should the need arise.

That is a weight lifted of her shoulders once more. Though I wish they would make it clearer on their website about who is and who is not required to complete a self assessment form as it would save people a lot of time, stress and worry!

shortchanged_2

Pincher wrote: »

You can pay the tax and send a letter or e-mail.
Assuming you have proof that you applied for a Gateway account, I don't see how HMRC can fine you.

Yes i have the proof of applying for the gateway account. The mad thing is i will not actually be due to pay any tax but by law i have to put a return in.

beansy

Make-it-3 wrote: »

Think OP does mean UTR.

When he says registered with the portal I think it means registering for self assessment. Then you get your UTR, then you can get your gateway key and then you can do your return.

OP, this happened to my OH last tax year. Registered in August and took till December to get UTR. They did give him extra time to file, but then tried to fine him regardless saying that although he had extra time to file he should have still have paid his dues by 31 Jan (talk about putting the cart before the horse). Had to take to appeal to get them to see sense.

Hope you have kept the original email then sent when you registered as you will need this to prove you applied for UTR in good time.

This is indeed very confusing!!

Following a recommendation by the Job Centre last year for my son to go self employed he registered online for a UTR number and he received the following information from:

https:/online.hmrc.gov.uk/registration/newbusiness/confirmation?reg=pcznf8ZJaVI... (info taken from the bottom of the page he was advised to print out)
Create a Government Gateway account.
Note user ID
Your Government Gageway account has been created.
Your User ID is: .......
Important note:
You must make a note of this User ID. For security reasons you will be asked to enter the User ID again before you submit the registration. You will also need it every time you log in to use HM Revenue & Customs online services along with your password.
HMRC recommend you print a copy of this information using the print facility on your browser, as it will not be displayed again, nor will you receive written confirmation of it.
Click the 'next' button to continue with your registration.

He has successfully logged onto the HMRC website using this ID and his password but there is no access to the self assessment form or details and he doesn't have a clue what he needs to do and by the time he gets home from work and tries to contact them, after holding on a number of times in excess of 60 mins he still hasn't managed to get to speak to anyone for some help/advice before they close at 8 pm!

I tried to get some help on his behalf this afternoon but came off the phone more confused than when I started. The advisor was really helpful but limited in what she could tell me as it was not my account but she did say that there are different User ID's for different parts of the service and he may not be logging into the correct area as there are different login services? She suggested that he either tries to verify himself online using his passport or driving license then he can submit his tax return, or go to the login page and try one of the following:
Lost user ID
Lost password option or
Lost both options

We are conscious time is running out and he is wondering whether to pay for an accountant to help but a) I am not sure if this would make any difference and b) we are only looking at the period between 26 Feb 2014 - 5 April 2014 as he only became SE from 26 Feb 2014.
He is in the Construction Industry and next years is probably going to be more complicated as he was SE for a short period from the beginning of the 2014/15 tax yeard, then with an Umbrellla employment agency for all but approx 6 wks or so.

Sorry this is quite long but can anyone offer some help or advice on the best way to take this forward please, besides trying to get through to the HMRC advisors?

Thanks in advance for any help.
:eek:

TheCyclingProgrammer

quietriot wrote: »

HMRC policy is that you'll have to complete a self assessment return if you have more than £2500 untaxed interest, or if the taxed interest is more than £10,000 gross.

This is indeed HMRC policy but legally you only need to notify HMRC if you owe tax so if you have more than £2500 in untaxed interest but its less than whatever unused personal allowance you've got (e.g. All of it if you're unemployed) you don't need to bother informing HMRC.

mgdavid

Beansy, try this link
https://www.gov.uk/how-to-send-self-assessment-online/use-the-free-self-assessment-online-service-
then find the hotlink ' Log in and file your return'

This gives you another login screen where you put the UTR and Password in.
If it works, open another tab, repeat and bookmark the first link in this post!

beansy

mgdavid wrote: »

Beansy, try this link
https://www.gov.uk/how-to-send-self-assessment-online/use-the-free-self-assessment-online-service-
then find the hotlink ' Log in and file your return'

This gives you another login screen where you put the UTR and Password in.
If it works, open another tab, repeat and bookmark the first link in this post!

Thank you mgdavid, will give it a go after work tonight and hope for the best.

Will post the outcome later.]
:T:)

rumbum_2

Perhaps a warning somewhere to only file through the genuine HMRC site - not one of the crooks who demand £500?
Apologies if comment made already