Income Tax liability for ten years ago

8880

Due to my wife's illness and possibly accountants inefficiency, I have three years (2010-2013) where I didn't complete self assessment. I continued to pay tax and it seems I am now well in credit. However I became employed full time in 2013 and have only recently re-entered the minefield, (I retired  in 2019  but was working one day per week for a while). I have completed this years requirement with no problems but it is only now that I discover the situation re. previous years. In that time I have only had one communication with HMRC (a phone call which is on record with them) when I was told I would be sent any outstanding tax returns for completion. This did not happen so I assumed (as I never was involved with my accounts directly) that there was nothing outstanding. Indeed the only reason I contacted HMRC was because my wife was in intensive care at the time, and on receiving no communication I assumed all was well. She is now recovered but has confirmed the lack of communication, except for the issuance of  fines which our accountant assured us would be ignored as we were paying tax.
Basically I want to know, do I have to complete these returns, and would I be expected to have retained accounts for that length of time? HMRC "trained" operatives obviously say yes and will not enter further discussion, except to say I can appeal against fines.

macman

If deliberate evasion were suspected, they could go back 20 years, but in cases like yours, which would probably come under 'negligent', 6 years seems to be the limit.
2012/13 is now beyond that limit.

Jeremy535897

I'm not clear what went wrong. Did you fail to notify HMRC in 2010-2013 that you had income that needed to be put on self assessment? They can go back 20 years for a failure to notify. However, if you somehow managed to pay all the tax due, it won't matter.

sheramber

if fines have been issued that would indicate returns were issued and would b=need to be completed.
If returns were  submitted online then a notice to file would be issued rathe than a return form.

8880

It seems, as they issued fines, there was no failure to notify, so I may not be liable for anything that old. I'll wait to see if I actually do receive anything in the post, if not I'll try to claim a refund of the tax in credit and see what happens.