SA tax return underpaid tax

wheelz

I have submitted my SA last Friday and spoke to the SA Helpline today. My reason for phoning them was to check two things. My conversation has made me more confused. The Helpline person says he doesn't see what I see on my tax return and he says I owe about £900. My tax return says that I have overpaid £120. When I check my current position for the tax year I can see the £900. I find the online account very hard to navigate it's not very user-friendly.

The helpline person confused me and I'm still not sure that I filled in a box to do with "Underpaid tax for 2014–15 included in your tax code for 2015–16" correctly. He said both in the same conversation that it was fine what I had filled in and that I shouldn't have been filling it in in this year's tax return. Reading out what it said and that the online form asked for this information didn't seem to help.

Although my tax amount seems similar to last year and is probably ok I'm not 100% convinced as I'm not sure about this underpayment amount/box.

I don't know what to, I don't feel like phoning again, I got through quickly within 12 minutes but was then on the phone for 40 minutes with him looking up things. When I phoned last week to check the query of the underpayment box they advised to ring back this week (as I submitted last week) and that they were able to go through it with me. Now it seems they don't have access to your tax return. Or did I just have someone who didn't want to look at my tax return itself. He kept on saying that he didn't see the overpayment showing up, I have a feeling he was just looking at my statement.

Would it be better if I write a letter explaining and asking my question showing photocopies etc. Or should I go to a financial adviser, do they do checks? and what do they charge?

My only query is to do with the underpayment box/amount.

MDMD

I'm assuming that you are completing 2014/15 return? Was anything shown in your tax code for that year as an underpayment included within the main part of the letter? If so you need to include it on the return.

Unfortunately it often depends on who you get through to with HMRC as to whether they are any use. Sometimes calling back can help, you could try tomorrow morning first thing.

An FA is unlikely to be able to help, an accountant should be but if you post details of your 2014/15 code here we can probably assist.

wheelz

The issue is that I don’t fully understand whether I have filled in a box for underpayment Underpaid tax for 2014–15 included in your tax code for 2015–16 – enter the amount shown as ‘estimated underpayment for 2014–15’ from your P2, ‘PAYE Coding Notice’ correctly.

When I look at my Coding notice from Jan 2015 it doesn’t say ‘estimated underpayment for 2014-2015’. It doesn’t use these words. But on the back it says ‘we previously told you that you owe us £1069’. If that is the same then that should be fine as that is the amount I have used. The guy from the Helpline said two conflicting things incl. fine and you shouldn’t have filled this in for this year. I tried to say that this is what the form was asking for, he said he doesn’t see what we see…

My new coding notice (sent last week although I didn’t know I had it as you don’t get a notification – got it online) seems to be taking the restriction amount from the Jan 2015 coding notice. They almost don’t seem to need the info I put on which I’m not sure about. That restriction amount seems fine.

On the whole I think the amount I owe them is probably right, just not sure about the ‘unpaid tax’ as to me that has been ‘settled’ through the PAYE code adjustment and the wording on my notice is not the same as what they ask for.

wheelz

I have received a tax calculation and covering letter. It tells me that the box for underpaid tax was wrong on my SA tax return and that it should be 0. This is exactly what my query was about and why I rang HMRC.

It seems resolved.

I want to pay off my tax that I owe HMRC as I find all the new tax codes and the HMRC collecting my tax through PAYE is just confusing. Do you think I can just ring up and pay over the phone? Unfortunately I have previously said that I wanted it to be collected through my salary but I have changed my mind. Hope this won't be a problem.

What is strange is that my tax calculation and covering letter are not on my online account. My statement and coding notices are available through my account online but not this calculation.

wheelz

Called HMRC and got through within 5 minutes. They removed my PAYE way of paying my tax bill and I can now pay through my bank. It doesn't show on my account yet, I will leave it a few days. I believe I am receiving a statement to tell me about this.