Self Assessment requests

Zigehpop

Hi everyone, regular reader of MSE but first time poster.

3 questions really as i'm brand new to self assessments and i'm hoping someone may have some advice.

In 17/18 tax year my PAYE salary went over 50k and i receive child benefit which i know i need to pay a portion of it back, I expected this.

So i registered for self assessment a couple of weeks back after i had my P60 for 17/18 and have now received 4 letters, all in the same envelope for the last 4 tax years (back to 14/15), saying i have to complete a self assessment for these years as my circumstances have changed. The letters are all identically worded and all say i'm late with my returns, and there will be a fine plus penalties. My income for all the previous years was well under 50k though.

There's only a few things i can think of really.
- They've messed up and sent letters in error for previous years
- Maybe ive had the previous years letters as i have claimed child benefit since 2010 and they want to double check previous years?
- I claimed marriage tax allowance for a period, and now not entitled too which im paying back through PAYE. i thought this was all sorted.
- I did register a company with companies house last year, but it never started so i promptly closed it through them without any trading or registering with HMRC for stuff like corporation tax.

I rang the number on the HMRC letter yesterday who didn't have any records of the letters, but did say 60000 letters were issued by their compliance team and i needed to ring them, which i will do tomorrow.

So questions are

1. Has anyone else received letters for past years unexpectedly and should i be worried about having to pay the fines?
2. Am i really late for the tax year 17/18? I thought i couldn't this until my P60 was available and had until later in the year.

Appreciate any advice

AnotherJoe

Are / were you aware you can put enough additionally into your pension to drop you under the limit and thus not lose CB? This could easily be the effect at the margin you are on, of putting a £1 into a pension and it gaining you £2 elsewhere.


This wont help this years return for 17/18 but you have plenty of time for this years tax, eg 18/19.



And no, you are not at all late for 17/18. You have until end Jan but there are advantages for completing earlier.

sheramber

When returns are issued late for earlier years you have three months to return them.

You will only have penalties if a return has been issued and not completed and sent back within the appropriate time.

You may have a penalty/fine for late payment if any tax due is paid late.

When you contact them ask them when returns for the earlier years were issued.

TheCyclingProgrammer

It may also be a mistake. You need to find it why they were issued for previous years. They may be able to rescind these notices.

Zigehpop

Thanks for your responses all, it puts my mind at ease a bit. I will be calling them tomorrow for sure! Thanks again

HonourlessWeasel

If it makes you feel any better I once received a letter from them saying that I was late in filing a return for the year 15/16 which had been filed two weeks before the 31st January deadline. I received that letter in June of this year. HMRC regularly churn out absolute !!!!!!!!. Hopefully you've spoken to them by now and got an answer though because receiving four for consecutive years might mean that there's a bit more to it.