Tax owed - no detail given

dfg87_again

Hi, 

I've logged into my HMRC account and just spotted that it's recently updated (1 month ago) saying I owe £44.58 plus interest from a SA return I did for 2019-20. It says the money owed is a "balancing payment" but there's no further explanation. Should I contact them for further information or is it normal for them to not give more detail than that? It's not a huge sum so I don't want to spend lots of time digging into it, but would be good to have a bit more transparency.

[Deleted User]

Would not bother unless they come asking for it - this has been sitting on my account since 2017. Was thinking of setting up a payment plan. 

Gvent#

[Deleted User] said:

Would not bother unless they come asking for it - this has been sitting on my account since 2017. Was thinking of setting up a payment plan. 

  1p a month until cleared 

Phoenix72

The obvious question is did you submit a 19/20 Tax Return recently?

[Deleted User]

Phoenix72 said:

The obvious question is did you submit a 19/20 Tax Return recently?

Unlikely- HMRC just don’t consider it worth pursuing

Phoenix72

[Deleted User] said:

Phoenix72 said:

The obvious question is did you submit a 19/20 Tax Return recently?

Unlikely- HMRC just don’t consider it worth pursuing

It didn't just appear for no reason though did it. OP said it appeared a month ago. Whether they pursue it or not wasn't the question?

SVaz

I had something similar pop up but then it disappeared the next time I logged in.
I’ve now had a paper tax calculation through the post for 23-24 and it’s not mentioned so god knows what was going on. 

dfg87_again

Phoenix72 said:

The obvious question is did you submit a 19/20 Tax Return recently?

No I did it at the time, submitted it Jan 2021

I guess it's not unusual that they might not get round to checking it until years later, just annoying that there (currently) doesn't seem to be much explanation of where their calculation differed from mine? 

I think I'll hold off for a bit and see if I get a letter or an email about it. Thanks everyone! 

mybestattempt

dfg87_again said:

Phoenix72 said:

The obvious question is did you submit a 19/20 Tax Return recently?

No I did it at the time, submitted it Jan 2021

I guess it's not unusual that they might not get round to checking it until years later, just annoying that there (currently) doesn't seem to be much explanation of where their calculation differed from mine? 

I think I'll hold off for a bit and see if I get a letter or an email about it. Thanks everyone! 

What did the self assessment return you did for 2019/20 actually calculate for the tax due for that year and did you pay it?
(You can see this in your self assessment account; 2019/20 details are all there)

Additional tax described as a balancing payment for 2019/20 appearing for the first time, without explanation, three years after you filed the return is unusual.

If you filed a return in January 2021, HMRC had 9 months to correct any obvious errors you made and should have informed you in writing. 

If they didn't do a correction they had 12 months after the date you filed the return to check it but only by opening an enquiry and should have informed you in writing.

When they close an enquiry they must send you a closure notice telling you what changes they have made to the return.


Is it possible that you moved after filing the return and didn't update your address until recently so letters from HMRC weren't received in the meantime?

That said, I would go along with just leaving it unless they start chasing you for payment.