HMRC wont accept offer

copperclock

xylophone wrote: »

I did - anodyne, very much on the lines of the excuses offered in the bbc link in my post above and no explanation at all of why total household income was not taken into account.

This is the part that really sticks in the throat. Especially as the income tax bill for a single-high-earner family will also be higher than that of the same income shared between two people.

sheramber

xs2man wrote: »

I too am in a similar position. They have applied charges going back to 2014 (when I returned to the UK from working abroad).

I found it incredible that they hid behind the excuse that it was well advertised at the time, yet my reason of not being in the country at the time was not considered a valid enough reason.

As you say, if, at the time of the first discrepancy, they had informed us of such changes, I could have dealt with it at the time. However, to not inform me, for 3 years, then go back and apply penalties, just seems unfair.

Before they calculated the charges, I had been informed of the due amount. I had contacted HMRC, and have made arrangements to repay this on a monthly basis, without hesitation or appeal. I do not disagree with the back taxes due.

However, I do disagree, entirely, that I would be due the charges. Mostly accrued through their inability to inform me in a timely fashion. I mean, it's not like they wouldn't have seen I wasn't in the UK system for a couple years. I wasn't, obviously, receiving any benefits, nor was I earning any money in the UK, so I wasn't paying any taxes in the UK, at the time of the change. A thing they would have known, as they did point out to me that letters were drawn up and sent to everyone who would be eligible for this extra taxation. And I was not in receipt of said letter.

A simple letter, at the end of the tax year in 2014 (the first end of tax year since my return), and this would have all been sorted.

I have since made an appeal. And today, before hearing a response from the appeal, I got another demand for payment. I called them up, got sent through to the compliance centre, who has since informed me my appeal, on the grounds of not being in the country to observe the national promotion of the new system, has been rejected. How this is not a valid enough excuse is beyond me? I consider it not a valid enough excuse to not inform me for 3 years that I am doing it wrong. I suppose they can be forgiven for not knowing I didn't have a TV license either at the time, so didn't watch TV, and don't read the papers, so wouldn't really have known about the campaign most likely, even if I were in the country.

Did you fill in a claim form for child benefit when you claimed it?