Dissolved company - Help

Antmac

Hi there

Ok, here goes. I started a limited company in July 2013 and began trading. I paid VAT for the first 6 months and then began to bury my head in the sand (I know). The company has been now struck off (dissolved) by companies house in January this year. I am still receiving letters through the door regarding outstanding VAT. The company did not send in an annual return or any other information after the 6 months. I believe I need to contact HMRC to inform them the company has been stuck off but i'm not sure how to even go about writing a letter to them and who is best to contact.

My big worries are;

Will HMRC chase me down for the outstanding corporation tax if the company is dissolved?
Will I need to pay the VAT which is outstanding even though the company no longer exists?
How do I begin to sort this mess out?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as i'm looking to close this disasterous chapter.

Many thanks

SeniorSam

If the Limited company has gone into liquidation and now been struck off, if there has been no action against the Directors, then they are safe. However, there would normally be a ruling by the Liquidators regarding the VAT debt.

You should advise HMRC of the striking off and put them in touch with Companies House with the Reference Number of the case.

Sam

Linton

Suggest you phone HMRC and ask them.

chrismac1

On the contrary NO ACTION IS NEEDED. Companies House will have notified HMRC when the action to dissolve the company was taken, indeed HMRC are the creditor which objects to the vast majority of applications to dissolve a company.

This they failed to do. The company now no longer legally exists. The only lawyers who will chase a debt owed by a non-existent legal body are "Totally Desperate Ambulance Chasers 4 U".

You can advise HMRC if you like, if you want to waste 30 minutes on the phone or writing a letter they can't be bothered to open for 10 weeks.

Antmac

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. This provides me with a bit more peace of mind. The outstanding VAT has went to collection agencies. Can they demand payment from me or should I phone them & tell them they're chasing funds from a dissolved company?

Again, any advice greatly appreciated

chrismac1

I suggest using the following reply if the agencies chase you:

"Sue and be damned."

I have used this myself 5 times over the years when people have tried to scare me with silly legal threats. I have yet to see Court papers from any of them.

Only an idiot debt collector chases a debt from a dissolved company.

Antmac

Thanks Chris. I'll steal your line!

antonic

Companies House very rarely tell HMRC when a Company gets struck off from Companies House.

Therefore I would suggest you download a VAT 7 deregistration form https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-application-to-cancel-your-vat-registration-vat7

Complete this and send it in, then HMRC will start the process to cancel your VAT registration.

Pennywise

antonic wrote: »

Companies House very rarely tell HMRC when a Company gets struck off from Companies House.

Therefore I would suggest you download a VAT 7 deregistration form https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-application-to-cancel-your-vat-registration-vat7

Complete this and send it in, then HMRC will start the process to cancel your VAT registration.

No.

Companies House will have published a proposal to strike off and then published the strike off details. It's the responsibility of HMRC (and other creditors) to object if they don't want the company struck off.

A VAT7 can't be submitted now because the company no longer exists and the OP isn't a valid authorised signatory to submit it as they can't be a director of a company that doesn't exist.

Any correspondence sent to the OP should be marked return to sender and put back in the postbox. Any phone calls should simply be ignored or responded to with "the company is struck off". Pointless doing anything else. HMRC and other creditors will eventually get the message and beggar off - they've missed their chance!

antonic

Pennywise wrote: »

No.

Companies House will have published a proposal to strike off and then published the strike off details. It's the responsibility of HMRC (and other creditors) to object if they don't want the company struck off.

A VAT7 can't be submitted now because the company no longer exists and the OP isn't a valid authorised signatory to submit it as they can't be a director of a company that doesn't exist.

Any correspondence sent to the OP should be marked return to sender and put back in the postbox. Any phone calls should simply be ignored or responded to with "the company is struck off". Pointless doing anything else. HMRC and other creditors will eventually get the message and beggar off - they've missed their chance!

Your right Penny !

I must have had a brain malfunction !

Your advise is right (as always !)

Antmac

Thanks again. Does this mean I can close the business bank account & take out the remaining balance, of which is very little, and advise the collection agencies which are hounding me for VAT the company is dissolved. Even though the payments they are looking for was prior to dissolvancy?