We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

Previous Employer Wrong Tax Returns Submitted

I left a company I’d worked for for nearing 10 years in sept 2021.
This year they have made several entries of income and put the end date of April 2023.
One of those entries was for a payment of £36k.  The tax man thinks I have received this recently and deducted and ADDITIONAL £800 from my pay this month!!!  That’s a lot of money which I need to cover bills.
I’ve emailed my old employer several times and they have told me their returns are correct.  They are not.
I’ve asked the department to escalate and not heard back.
This has been going on for nearly 1 week now.  I’m desperate because an £800 deduction each month is something that is going to get me into trouble with bills etc.  This is an error and urgent but no one seems to care.

What can I do? 

HMRC said threaten you’ll go to ACAS.
I went to ACAS they don’t help with this area!!

Im losing the will - going round in circles!  

I didn’t think HMRC could take that much of a huge amount in one go either.

Comments

  • Have you accessed your personal tax account to see what information is showing and where you can alter it?
  • Dazed_and_C0nfused
    Dazed_and_C0nfused Posts: 15,730 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 5 June 2023 at 5:13PM
    I left a company I’d worked for for nearing 10 years in sept 2021.
    This year they have made several entries of income and put the end date of April 2023.
    One of those entries was for a payment of £36k.  The tax man thinks I have received this recently and deducted and ADDITIONAL £800 from my pay this month!!!  That’s a lot of money which I need to cover bills.
    I’ve emailed my old employer several times and they have told me their returns are correct.  They are not.
    I’ve asked the department to escalate and not heard back.
    This has been going on for nearly 1 week now.  I’m desperate because an £800 deduction each month is something that is going to get me into trouble with bills etc.  This is an error and urgent but no one seems to care.

    What can I do? 

    HMRC said threaten you’ll go to ACAS.
    I went to ACAS they don’t help with this area!!

    Im losing the will - going round in circles!  

    I didn’t think HMRC could take that much of a huge amount in one go either.
    HMRC don't deduct tax your (current) employer does.

    They are limited to a maximum tax deduction of 50% of taxable pay in each pay period so assuming that wasn't exceeded they won't have done anything wrong (presumably the tax code they were told to use was used).

    You might find a slightly different approach helps with your old employer.  If they have filed Real Time Information data showing you earned £36k then presumably they also showed some tax and NI deductions.

    That will mean they will be asked to pay those amount by HMRC as part of their monthly payroll liability.  So it's in their own best interests to correct this as soon as possible so their own employers liability will be correct.

    I know from experience that HMRC will only react to revised data from the old employer, they won't just pretend it hasn't happened.
  • sheramber
    sheramber Posts: 20,712 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped! Name Dropper
    This year they have made several entries of income and put the end date of April 2023.

    is this money you have received? If so , when?
  • chrisbur
    chrisbur Posts: 4,189 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    sheramber said:
    This year they have made several entries of income and put the end date of April 2023.

    is this money you have received? If so , when?
    And if not received have you asked where the money went; as if the gross pay is yours then the net pay after the tax/NI must also be yours.
  • peachie1509
    peachie1509 Posts: 13 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture First Post Combo Breaker
    edited 12 June 2023 at 3:04PM
    Thanks for all your replies.
    The plot thickens.
    I have a gov gateway account and see all the entries.
    They have made 6 entries.  All of them state end dates of this year, 1 of last year.
    2 are duplicates of shares I was meant to receive last year.  I’m still trying to locate the shares that I’ve paid 225 in tax towards.
    I have a couple of entries both stating start dates which are correct but both stating end date this year.  Amounts are 46k on 1 and 55k on another.  It is all incorrect.  I left sept 2021!!
    My final salary was sept 2021 I have received nothing but the share remainder in July 2022 (664 of the share is somewhere in shares but I can’t find it)
    Old employer have said they will advise HMRC I left sept 2021.  I’m still waiting on the email stating this and also a reply where my shares have gone.
    Thing is this a huge global brand that would hate bad press….but this is completely ridiculous.  I’m budgeting as I’m 4 months pregnant and need to save every Penny I earn to be able to survive on the allowance il get when on Mat leave.
    I’m struggling as to where to turn! 
  • Dazed_and_C0nfused
    Dazed_and_C0nfused Posts: 15,730 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 12 June 2023 at 5:16PM
    Old employer have said they will advise HMRC I left sept 2021
    That in itself is utterly pointless.

    They need to file revised Real Time Information data showing the correct pay for any tax year that it's wrong.

    So for example if they have reported £55k for this (tax) year then that's needs to be £0.

    Sending an end date on its own won't alter that.

    NB.  You might make like easier if you made it clearer which tax year things related to.
  • jimmo
    jimmo Posts: 2,285 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Were you involved in any form of share save or share incentive plan?
    Have you received shares or RSUs since you left employment?
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 347.8K Banking & Borrowing
  • 251.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 452.2K Spending & Discounts
  • 240.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 616.3K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 175.4K Life & Family
  • 253.5K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.