HMRC self-assessment/child benefit website - help me, I'm a doofus!

MMRRFC

*Warning* - plonker alert. Short version, I'm a public sector employee that pays Income Tax on PAYE. We receive child benefit, but I wish to pay back what is owed due to my salary this for 2023/24 and this year. That's a given, no sweat. HOWEVER, I asked a colleague how I go about doing this and I was advised to do a self-assessment on the HMRC. Said calculator tells me on the final page that I need to pay upwards of £8000 in tax. I'm blown away and I suspect that I have probably selected the wrong thing. Am I right in thinking that I've been stupid and putting forward a self-assessment tax return (for tax that I have actually already paid for both financial years) and that I should be doing something else re the child benefit? Thanks in advance.

Flugelhorn

have you filled in all your earnings and tax paid ? 

have you had a go with this ? https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-tax-calculator

I never actually got taxed more than I received in the year - so sounds like something wrong or maybe think you owe more years? or have you got a large number of children?

eskbanker

What are the key figures in the tax calculation you've seen, i.e. what's the total taxable income, calculated tax liability and tax deducted?  Have you actually submitted it yet?

sheramber

What figures have you put on your return?

 putting forward a self-assessment tax return (for tax that I have actually already paid for both financial years) 

you cannot put both years on one return

you need your PAYE income and tax paid in the relevant boxes for 23/24.  You cannot do 24/25 until after 5 April 25.

Then you put all taxable investment income received for t23/24

Any pension payments not deducted from your salary before tax is  calculated.

Any other income.

The amount of child benefit that you received in 23/24

If you want the  entries checked then give us a copy.

Nomunnofun1

MMRRFC said:

*Warning* - plonker alert. Short version, I'm a public sector employee that pays Income Tax on PAYE. We receive child benefit, but I wish to pay back what is owed due to my salary this for 2023/24 and this year. That's a given, no sweat. HOWEVER, I asked a colleague how I go about doing this and I was advised to do a self-assessment on the HMRC. Said calculator tells me on the final page that I need to pay upwards of £8000 in tax. I'm blown away and I suspect that I have probably selected the wrong thing. Am I right in thinking that I've been stupid and putting forward a self-assessment tax return (for tax that I have actually already paid for both financial years) and that I should be doing something else re the child benefit? Thanks in advance.

Have you entered the TAX PAID at your employment?

MMRRFC

Only two children. What I HOPE has happened is that I have used the wrong avenue to find out how much I owe the HMRC re the child benefit and have inadvertently ended up trying to submit tax return for tax I probably don't owe.

For clarity, I am only querying re 2023/24.

I work for an emergency services. I have paid for what would appear to me to be the right amount of income tax in 2023/24.

I do not earn any other income. My gross was £64000 that year.

I only got to the calculation page and never submitted it.

I think I have just got it very wrong!

Dazed_and_C0nfused

MMRRFC said:

Only two children. What I HOPE has happened is that I have used the wrong avenue to find out how much I owe the HMRC re the child benefit and have inadvertently ended up trying to submit tax return for tax I probably don't owe.

For clarity, I am only querying re 2023/24.

I work for an emergency services. I have paid for what would appear to me to be the right amount of income tax in 2023/24.

I do not earn any other income. My gross was £64000 that year.

I only got to the calculation page and never submitted it.

I think I have just got it very wrong!

At the moment you can only pay HICBC via Self Assessment.

For someone with PAYE income and two kids (relevant for HICBC) a Self Assessment return is genuinely a 10-15 minute job.  Tops.

Have you entered all taxable income, even that taxed at 0% like interest?

Have you entered the Child Benefit details?

Have you entered any tax deducted at source?

If you have and have a liability of £8k you have either omitted to tell us something or gone completely wrong somewhere.

Flugelhorn

Calculator is estimating £2074 for 2 children - best start again

Nomunnofun1

Flugelhorn said:

Calculator is estimating £2074 for 2 children - best start again

Close to what I got - and that’s IF the op entered his gross salary and not his salary after pension contributions (public sector scheme). 

If the op could advice us of P60 pay and tax details?

BumpkinMum

We are in exactly the same boat. Its ridiculous that we both pay tax through PAYE and because the goalposts were moved we are now having to retrospectively pay back child benefit. We cancelled our CB in Dec. 23 after having to complete SA return and paying £400 tax for 22/23.

Because we cancelled it and already paid back money, we didn't think we would then have to pay all of the 22/23 amount back. Filling in the SA form last night, as we got a fine in the post - we submitted similar amounts with various outcomes. One being we owe £8k!

Having entered the details into the calculator it came back as we would owe £900, but the SA output was £1200.

Do we have to pay that back in one lump sum? 

sheramber

You can ask for time to pay
https://www.gov.uk/difficulties-paying-hmrc