Self Assessment and Savings

spooon

Hi guys, wasn't sure where to put this so apologies if in the wrong place.

My mother is in her late 60s and has all of a sudden been asked to submit self assessment returns for the last five years. She is very anxious and troubled. They refuse to pinpoint what exactly has led the tax man to demand these returns. She has chopped and changed her savings accounts several times during that period and filling in these returns is going to be one hell of a task.

Any thoughts or advice pls on how she should proceed? Is she bound by law to fill these returns in? She believes she doesn't owe any tax during that period but cannot be 100% sure. Her memory isn't the best.

Thx in advance.

Milarky

If she paid tax on her savings throughout there isn't likely to be an underpayment (more likely an overpayment) I would say, if she knows approximately how much came from these now closed accounts in past years she could just put these estimates down - putting the appropriate amount of 'tax' against them.

In other words, they'd take a cursory look. See that her income wasn't too high or too low and mostly just do nothing. (I'm guessing)