HMRC error leading to tax bill - pay or wait?

fruitbat_2

I've had a tax bill due to HMRC making an error and am not sure whether to pay it now and wait for them to admit their mistake or wait it out and hope it's not too long before they admit this. 

I did my usual online return (in Jan) and the tax calculation was 0.00 owed. I've recently had a letter saying I owe them 120ish. But I can clearly see that they've omitted the marriage allowance transfer from my spouse, which we always do, and which led to the 0.00 owing. This was recorded on her and my returns (which we have copies of). 

Given the smallish amount I could pay it, as I'm not hugely happy that it's accruing interest, with the hope that they will refund this when they get around to it. Otherwise I can wait until they respond to the email I've sent today through the gov.uk portal stating where the error has occured. I'm not hopeful that either of these things will happen quickly. And no, I don't really want to lose half a day trying to phone HMRC. 

What have others done in this situation ie tax bill error meaning HMRC say you owe more than you actually do? Appreciate any experiences. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

fruitbat_2 said:

I've had a tax bill due to HMRC making an error and am not sure whether to pay it now and wait for them to admit their mistake or wait it out and hope it's not too long before they admit this. 

I did my usual online return (in Jan) and the tax calculation was 0.00 owed. I've recently had a letter saying I owe them 120ish. But I can clearly see that they've omitted the marriage allowance transfer from my spouse, which we always do, and which led to the 0.00 owing. This was recorded on her and my returns (which we have copies of). 

Given the smallish amount I could pay it, as I'm not hugely happy that it's accruing interest, with the hope that they will refund this when they get around to it. Otherwise I can wait until they respond to the email I've sent today through the gov.uk portal stating where the error has occured. I'm not hopeful that either of these things will happen quickly. And no, I don't really want to lose half a day trying to phone HMRC. 

What have others done in this situation ie tax bill error meaning HMRC say you owe more than you actually do? Appreciate any experiences. 

What form/calculation/letter is it you have now received?

Is it for the 2022-23 tax year?

fruitbat_2

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

What form/calculation/letter is it you have now received?
Is it for the 2022-23 tax year?

Yes it is. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

fruitbat_2 said:

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

What form/calculation/letter is it you have now received?
Is it for the 2022-23 tax year?

Yes it is. 

If you are confident that the Marriage Allowance tax credit is still due and the £120 isn't clawing back excess Gift Aid relief then personally I wouldn't wait, I'd contact HMRC for an explanation.

One person being liable to higher rate tax is the normal reason why you become ineligible for Marriage Allowance.

sheramber

If you phone as soon as lines open you usually get an answer quickly.
Start dialling just before the time to be at the front of the queue.

Sometimes staff work early and will answer so worth trying.

fruitbat_2

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

If you are confident that the Marriage Allowance tax credit is still due and the £120 isn't clawing back excess Gift Aid relief then personally I wouldn't wait, I'd contact HMRC for an explanation.

One person being liable to higher rate tax is the normal reason why you become ineligible for Marriage Allowance.

Definitely Marriage allowance and not Gift Aid as we haven't claimed any. Both basic rate, and the online calculation included the Marriage Allowance, and has in previous years. 
When I say wait I mean wait to pay, I have already emailed them, I'm just not sure how long a reply might take and if it's better to pay the bill and argue for a refund, or not pay the bill and wait for them to correct the error. 

Or phone... 

Thanks for your replies. 

Phoenix72

fruitbat_2 said:

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

If you are confident that the Marriage Allowance tax credit is still due and the £120 isn't clawing back excess Gift Aid relief then personally I wouldn't wait, I'd contact HMRC for an explanation.

One person being liable to higher rate tax is the normal reason why you become ineligible for Marriage Allowance.

Definitely Marriage allowance and not Gift Aid as we haven't claimed any. Both basic rate, and the online calculation included the Marriage Allowance, and has in previous years. 
When I say wait I mean wait to pay, I have already emailed them, I'm just not sure how long a reply might take and if it's better to pay the bill and argue for a refund, or not pay the bill and wait for them to correct the error. 

Or phone... 

Thanks for your replies. 

Who have you e-mailed? HMRC do not routinely deal with individuals by e-mail.