Tax Bill From 2016/17

Kentishphotographer

I have recently received a self assessment tax bill from HMRC for £79 from a self-assessment I did in 2016/17. It appears to have been flagged in 2018 and they've added £30 interest since then. This is the first I've heard I owe them money. In 2016/17 I was signed off longterm sick so I made no money as a self-employed person and had about 3 months of meagre statutory sick pay from y company job. I've called HMRC about 4 times on separate occasions re.this bill and been passed around various departments. Nobody seems to know exactly what the bill is for. I've been told it's for my 2016/17 self assessment. When I've pressed for more details, I get passed on. The last person I spoke to told me she could put me through to somebody who could help me and then out me through to the department for those struggling to pay their bills. I seem to have reached an impasse with them. I'm fairly certain I don't owe them any money and am very reluctant to pay the bill when they themselves can't even tel me what it is for. I've managed to locate the self-assessment and have confirmation that my income was £0.
Anybody else experience anything similar? Thought I'd throw the situation on here before I try speaking to HMRC again. Thanks. 

eskbanker

Kentishphotographer said:

In 2016/17 I was signed off longterm sick so I made no money as a self-employed person and had about 3 months of meagre statutory sick pay from y company job.

[...]

I've managed to locate the self-assessment and have confirmation that my income was £0.

Surely the sick pay would have been taxable income?  It would normally have tax deducted via PAYE but does that year's self-assessment reflect the entirety of your income from all sources?

molerat

https://www.gov.uk/tax-appeals

Kentishphotographer

eskbanker said:

Kentishphotographer said:

In 2016/17 I was signed off longterm sick so I made no money as a self-employed person and had about 3 months of meagre statutory sick pay from y company job.

[...]

I've managed to locate the self-assessment and have confirmation that my income was £0.

Surely the sick pay would have been taxable income?  It would normally have tax deducted via PAYE but does that year's self-assessment reflect the entirety of your income from all sources?

I only did self-assessments for my small business. As far as I know the company I worked for dealt with my tax. I've probably got the pay slip...somewhere. Either way, my entire earnings for the year wouldn't have been above the personal income even with the sick pay as I was signed off the whole tax year. 

DE_612183

How can your income for the year be 0 if you had sick pay?

have you checked your personal tax account for that year?

eskbanker

Kentishphotographer said:

eskbanker said:

Kentishphotographer said:

In 2016/17 I was signed off longterm sick so I made no money as a self-employed person and had about 3 months of meagre statutory sick pay from y company job.

[...]

I've managed to locate the self-assessment and have confirmation that my income was £0.

Surely the sick pay would have been taxable income?  It would normally have tax deducted via PAYE but does that year's self-assessment reflect the entirety of your income from all sources?

I only did self-assessments for my small business. As far as I know the company I worked for dealt with my tax. I've probably got the pay slip...somewhere. Either way, my entire earnings for the year wouldn't have been above the personal income even with the sick pay as I was signed off the whole tax year. 

You need to declare all of your taxable income on a self-assessment, even if some (or all) of it entails PAYE deductions being made by an employer.  That's not necessarily the reason for this bill but if you underdeclared your income on this return (and others?) then this may result in some form of investigation....

mybestattempt

molerat said:

https://www.gov.uk/tax-appeals

There is no right of appeal against your own self assessment.

If the self assessment was £0 tax and there is a tax charge for 2016/17 then HMRC must have either corrected the return, made a discovery assessment or issued a closure notice following an enquiry.

In all those three situations HMRC would have notified in writing and would explained the statutory rights of appeal against a discovery assessment or closure notice.


If the 2016/17 tax charge is unpaid it will remain be on the self assessment statement appropriately described.

Kentishphotographer

DE_612183 said:

How can your income for the year be 0 if you had sick pay?

have you checked your personal tax account for that year?

£0 for my business. I didn't do the tax for my main job. My employer P60 shows I got just under £1300 (as SSP) for the whole year. 

sheramber

Kentishphotographer said:

DE_612183 said:

How can your income for the year be 0 if you had sick pay?

have you checked your personal tax account for that year?

£0 for my business. I didn't do the tax for my main job. My employer P60 shows I got just under £1300 (as SSP) for the whole year. 

The self assessment return is for  all your  taxable income. That means PAYE, self  employed, taxable benefits, savings income . All has to be shown on the return. 

[Deleted User]

Kentishphotographer said:

DE_612183 said:

How can your income for the year be 0 if you had sick pay?

have you checked your personal tax account for that year?

£0 for my business. I didn't do the tax for my main job. My employer P60 shows I got just under £1300 (as SSP) for the whole year. 

Zero income from self-employment and £1300 sick pay. No tax would be payable on that income. Do you mean that you were self-employed but did not earn enough to pay tax? 

As above - what does the calculus how on your personal tax account?