Warning for self employed

julie777 · 7 February 2018 at 8:03AM

HMRC expect a self assessment tax return EVEN THOUGH THEY NO LONGER ASK FOR IT IN ANY WAY!!!
We always used to get a letter but nearly got caught out this year because there was no letter or email.
In the last couple of months there were emails linking to help pages but it wasn't till 9 days before the January deadline that they actually told him YOU MUST COMPLETE A SA.
Up till then we assumed the emails were sent to everyone, even ones who were not required to submit returns.
Also due to health issues he did not earn anything at all in that year.
Sounds like I was stupid?
His earnings were so low previously that we thought they had given up requesting SA.
THEY SHOULDN'T SUDDENLY STOP ASKING FOR THEM WITH NO EXPLANATION.
If they have been using his email address for all the recent general messages why couldn't they have sent him one last April saying clearly BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN DOING SELF ASSESSMENT YOU NEED TO DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR EVEN IF WE DO NOT WRITE TO YOU OR YOUR EARNINGS HAVE DROPPED OR ARE ZERO.
Jobdone. Everyone knows where they stand.
Perhaps they prefer to rake in all the fines from people caught out by their lack of clarity.

FBaby · 7 February 2018 at 8:19AM

Why are you angry at the HMRC for a failure that is accountable to your DP. Why blaming someone for not telling you to do something that is your responsibility to do. All he had to do was log in on his account online. Why would he assumed he suddenly didn't need to do a SA this year when he always had done before.

I don't understand why you feel that your DP is in no way responsible for not doing a SA just because he didn't get an email to tell him that he needed to.

marlot · 7 February 2018 at 8:39AM

My wife is self employed (very small business). I've just asked her, and she said that when she declared herself self-employed, HMRC told her she would be doing a self-assessment every year.

I (employed by a firm) received a letter a couple of years ago telling me that I don't need to complete a SA return as my affairs get handled through PAYE.

If you're not earning and don't expect to in the future, you could just tell HMRC that you've stopped and I'm sure they'll take you off the list?

ACG · 7 February 2018 at 10:00AM

As far as I am aware, everyone who is self employed no matter what their income is needs to do a self assessment.

sangie595 · 7 February 2018 at 10:00AM

julie777 wrote: »

HMRC expect a self assessment tax return EVEN THOUGH THEY NO LONGER ASK FOR IT IN ANY WAY!!!
We always used to get a letter but nearly got caught out this year because there was no letter or email.
In the last couple of months there were emails linking to help pages but it wasn't till 9 days before the January deadline that they actually told him YOU MUST COMPLETE A SA.
Up till then we assumed the emails were sent to everyone, even ones who were not required to submit returns.
Also due to health issues he did not earn anything at all in that year.
Sounds like I was stupid?
His earnings were so low previously that we thought they had given up requesting SA.
THEY SHOULDN'T SUDDENLY STOP ASKING FOR THEM WITH NO EXPLANATION.
If they have been using his email address for all the recent general messages why couldn't they have sent him one last April saying clearly BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN DOING SELF ASSESSMENT YOU NEED TO DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR EVEN IF WE DO NOT WRITE TO YOU OR YOUR EARNINGS HAVE DROPPED OR ARE ZERO.
Jobdone. Everyone knows where they stand.
Perhaps they prefer to rake in all the fines from people caught out by their lack of clarity.

Bening an adult in society means that we are responsible to checking what we need to know and do. You don't need emails to remind you to obey the law, or to go to the doctor if you are ill? You made assumptions, and now you are angry because the assumptions you made are wrong. That doesn't make any sense. Don't make assumptions.

ViolaLass · 7 February 2018 at 10:03AM

How are HMRC going to know that you haven't earned anything (through self-employment) unless you tell them?

Katapolt · 7 February 2018 at 10:21AM

I earned under £5000 in the last 3 years being self employed but i still know every year i have to complete a tax return, even if its says i earned very little.

I saw many adverts online, the radio and TV reminding if you're self employed you must file a return by the deadline, surely you didn't manage to miss all of those, or did you just assume they weren't applicable?

ReadingTim · 7 February 2018 at 10:42AM

julie777 wrote: »

Sounds like I was stupid?

Yes, you were.

Comms69 · 7 February 2018 at 10:50AM

julie777 wrote: »

HMRC expect a self assessment tax return EVEN THOUGH THEY NO LONGER ASK FOR IT IN ANY WAY!!!
We always used to get a letter but nearly got caught out this year because there was no letter or email.
In the last couple of months there were emails linking to help pages but it wasn't till 9 days before the January deadline that they actually told him YOU MUST COMPLETE A SA.
Up till then we assumed the emails were sent to everyone, even ones who were not required to submit returns.
Also due to health issues he did not earn anything at all in that year.
Sounds like I was stupid?
His earnings were so low previously that we thought they had given up requesting SA.
THEY SHOULDN'T SUDDENLY STOP ASKING FOR THEM WITH NO EXPLANATION.
If they have been using his email address for all the recent general messages why couldn't they have sent him one last April saying clearly BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN DOING SELF ASSESSMENT YOU NEED TO DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR EVEN IF WE DO NOT WRITE TO YOU OR YOUR EARNINGS HAVE DROPPED OR ARE ZERO.
Jobdone. Everyone knows where they stand.
Perhaps they prefer to rake in all the fines from people caught out by their lack of clarity.

its call SELF-assessment, work it out.

pmduk · 7 February 2018 at 11:05AM

NB For the future: he'll need to complete a self-assessment every year until he notifies HMRC that he's no longer self-employed and they tell him it is no longer required.

Put it in your diary now.

Takeaway_Addict · 7 February 2018 at 3:24PM

julie777 wrote: »

HMRC expect a self assessment tax return EVEN THOUGH THEY NO LONGER ASK FOR IT IN ANY WAY!!!
We always used to get a letter but nearly got caught out this year because there was no letter or email.
In the last couple of months there were emails linking to help pages but it wasn't till 9 days before the January deadline that they actually told him YOU MUST COMPLETE A SA.
Up till then we assumed the emails were sent to everyone, even ones who were not required to submit returns.
Also due to health issues he did not earn anything at all in that year.
Sounds like I was stupid?
His earnings were so low previously that we thought they had given up requesting SA.
THEY SHOULDN'T SUDDENLY STOP ASKING FOR THEM WITH NO EXPLANATION.
If they have been using his email address for all the recent general messages why couldn't they have sent him one last April saying clearly BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN DOING SELF ASSESSMENT YOU NEED TO DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR EVEN IF WE DO NOT WRITE TO YOU OR YOUR EARNINGS HAVE DROPPED OR ARE ZERO.
Jobdone. Everyone knows where they stand.
Perhaps they prefer to rake in all the fines from people caught out by their lack of clarity.

Seriously?????

Warning for self employed

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