Self Assessment Tax Return payment pending

PaulG1974

I’m a civil servant and been waiting for a payment of £1167 that‘S how much tax I had overpaid in the last 4 years! was due the back end of June 2020.. Since then it says the payment said it is pending. The accountants Clear Start are helping me as I have a payplan with them, I sent my last 4 years P60’s to see if I was due any money back. Got a text off clear start on the 27th July as that was meant to be a deadline for the payment to be released, but clear start was told by HMRC that they were doing security checks and the latest would be the 8th September 2020. The annoying,frustrating bit about it is I’m scrimping, saving every month like a lot of people and all you get is excuse after excuse when it comes to the deadline. I’ve never been so disheartened about anything in a long time as it’s not like I have my own business I’m just an employee, I hope it gets sorted out by the 8th September, but tbh I’m just expecting yet another excuse 😡 anyway I’m sorry for the long rant I’m just that fed up, Paul 

unholyangel

Sounds an awful lot like they may have claimed expenses for you that are not correct and it's flagged it for additional checks. 

What sort of relief were they claiming for you? 

PaulG1974

If I’m being honest all I know is clear start accountants sent a self assessment claim to the HMRC after looking at my last 4 P60’s. I’m under the thought it’s overpaid tax that I have paid over the last 4 years! When you say ‘they may have claimed expenses that are not correct’ do you mean clear start or HMRC 

sheramber

clear start have claimed tax relief for something that you  hadn't already claimed.
 £290 approx a year   repayment  is a claim for relief  of  5 x 290 = £1450  which is a sizeable amount.
Because fo the size of the repayment HMRC will double check the claim to make sure you are in fact due this amount.
it doesn't necessarily mean it is wrong, just that it has to be checked.  
Have they asked you for amount  of business expense, business mileage etc?

PaulG1974

I don’t have my own business or anything I’m just an employee who works in a office! I don’t really understand much about it all if im being honest.. I was told by one of the clear start staff that my documents had been given to one of the accountants to have a look before sending the claim off to HMRC, so after that I’m just really waiting extremely patient in which is wearing very thin! 

unholyangel

PaulG1974 said:

I don’t have my own business or anything I’m just an employee who works in a office! I don’t really understand much about it all if im being honest.. I was told by one of the clear start staff that my documents had been given to one of the accountants to have a look before sending the claim off to HMRC, so after that I’m just really waiting extremely patient in which is wearing very thin! 

Are you saying they only asked for your p60s before telling you that you're due a refund and did not ask for any other information/questions at all?

Do you use your own car for work? Are you in a job where you need to maintain subscription to a professional body in order to carry out the duties of your employment (ie those performing nursing duties need to be registered nurses)? Does your contract identify your home as a permanent workplace? 

The only reason I can think that you can be due a refund now that you weren't due before is claiming some sort of relief/allowance. If it was just a case of collecting the wrong amount of tax, hmrc wouldve already refunded it to you (although you might not have received it if you didn't change your address with them). 

PaulG1974

All I was asked for was my P60’s as with being on a payplan with them via Stepchange (having a few financial issues) like a lot of people! It’s basically a case of clear start take 30% of what I get as they do the donkey work so to speak, I would have thought they had quite a bit info for me, I.e payslips, etc regarding using my own car for work I just use it as normal I don’t claim for anything as it’s part of the job. My main work place is at the quayside in Newcastle on reception, so basically I’m office based (apart from the current situation) im trying to keep positive about it, but it’s just excuse after excuse short of staff, not getting around to finishing the checks, etc I feel so disheartened about it all! I really hope I get something back very soon as I’m going to blow with them down the phone 

unholyangel

PaulG1974 said:

All I was asked for was my P60’s as with being on a payplan with them via Stepchange (having a few financial issues) like a lot of people! It’s basically a case of clear start take 30% of what I get as they do the donkey work so to speak, I would have thought they had quite a bit info for me, I.e payslips, etc regarding using my own car for work I just use it as normal I don’t claim for anything as it’s part of the job. My main work place is at the quayside in Newcastle on reception, so basically I’m office based (apart from the current situation) im trying to keep positive about it, but it’s just excuse after excuse short of staff, not getting around to finishing the checks, etc I feel so disheartened about it all! I really hope I get something back very soon as I’m going to blow with them down the phone 

By using it as normal do you mean just driving to/from a normal workplace? You're not a mobile/field based role? 

I would ask what they've put on the tax returns for you - because ultimately it will be you who is liable if it's wrong. If they've claimed something they shouldn't, it could explain why hmrc haven't issued the repayment yet and are doing further checks. Once you've established that you are indeed due the repayment, then you can go full steam ahead over what's taking so long. 

Have you actually spoken to HMRC? Does what they say match what CS are saying? 

PaulG1974

Just drive to and from work nowhere else, I signed permission to clear start to take over the reigns so to speak so they were acting as me! I haven’t contacted HMRC tbh as I didn’t think they would tell me in a fashion! I did ask clear start what checks HMRC we’re doing, but I was told they didn’t know.. what’s confusing me is I’m employed by the crown prosecution service, I’ve got a log in to check on what’s going on with the claim and it just says pending! 

unholyangel

PaulG1974 said:

Just drive to and from work nowhere else, I signed permission to clear start to take over the reigns so to speak so they were acting as me! I haven’t contacted HMRC tbh as I didn’t think they would tell me in a fashion! I did ask clear start what checks HMRC we’re doing, but I was told they didn’t know.. what’s confusing me is I’m employed by the crown prosecution service, I’ve got a log in to check on what’s going on with the claim and it just says pending! 

Why wouldn't they? It's your tax affairs, not CS's! They might not tell you why they're doing checks or what they're checking, but they will tell you what has been submitted/why you are now due money back. 

But yeah, normal commuting isn't tax deductible so that won't be the reason for the repayment. If you're calling HMRC, I believe the normal advice on here is to call them first thing in the morning, a few minutes before they open (so by time you get through automated system thing, they'll be open). 

oxroxx

When I was owed money from HMRC they just adjusted my tax code for the next year.


Don't expect a big cheque to drop through you letterbox.