How the fuck do I pay my tax bill?

[GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat]

Every year I go around in circles!!

Where is it?

Please help! I am logged in and it’s like a magic trick with no end 🤦🏻‍♀️

The amount doesn't show until you file the return and it is accepted which can take up to 72 hours. Another reason not to leave it til the last minute.

You don't need the amount to show though, you can still pay the tax even if it isn't showing on your account. You can pay it by bank transfer or by debit card.

We charge usually a minimum of £150 for a simple tax return, we do a couple for less than that where it involves minimal figures. We also have fees going up to £750 for partnerships, which involves several hours processing figures and producing accounts and several tax returns. This is cheap compared to local big firms, but enough for me as a small one man band.

I think being able to go and see an actual tax officer about a problem should be introduced.

Ah, for the olden days when you could just pop into your local tax office and speak to an actual person!

@Kazzyhoward Completely agree about the cost, overheads etc. I meant it more that if people had trouble finding an accountant to do it (as a couple of posters mentioned upthread), that a bookkeeper might be able to help. People don't always realised that we can also be registered as agents with HMRC for stuff like this.

I submitted my self assessment on line last October.
They sent an online receipt.
They still haven’t linked it to my account.
I’ve made 5 phone calls and sent two letters.
They assured me last November that I wouldn’t be fined.
Now I’ve been told I’ll pay a late fee because they asked me to send in a paper copy of my online submission and have decided this is a late paper copy.
They’re an absolute disgrace and not fit for purpose.

I live in France.
We got an unexpected bill from French tax.
I drove 3 miles to the town and walked into the small tax office.
In ten minutes everything was sorted.

@maggiethecat

Time for me to get a new accountant too! I gave him all the information in excel spreadsheet etc from early November last year and have been chasing him since. Finally got a reply this week saying he's submitted without even allowing me to check first!

He also indicated that it appears that I may have an owed amount from last year's returns' balancing payment which I had paid in July so I'm presuming that what he's referring to is what people have said - that the system updates taking into account any balancing payment made.

However, he probably hasn't had that update yet. It's annoying that I probably would have paid less had he done his job in good time 🤬

I made my payment online yesterday and RBS indicates that payment won't go through until 1/2/21. Probably should have paid via my RBS app - perhaps payment would have been immediate, especially given that this is an existing payee account.

Anyhoo, I presume that the interest for one day will be pennies.

November is actually quite late to receive a clients information though. I have 250 clients, they would never get done if everyone sent their information in in November! Our cut off for receiving information for a guaranteed submission is 31st October, I would say about 1/3 have come in by then and to date I've never not got one submitted but that's because I do a hell of a lot of overtime from December onwards. I'm not having a moan at you personally just pointing out that to us, November is late. Your other points though are definitely worth finding a new accountant for! Should never have submitted without your approval and should always take into account what you have/haven't paid etc

I gave my clients a deadline of 31 October and anything that comes in after that they are made aware that it may not be done (It usually is).

This year has been horrendous for accountants in terms of extra work created by furlough schemes and having to advise clients on claiming grants and UC etc, so the smaller the firm, the heavier the workload.

The accountant should never file without signed authority though.

@EventuallyDeleted

It seems to take a few days after you've submitted the return for the totals to update. I find it very hard to work out what I actually need to pay. Last year I paid the whole lot in error and only realised at the July payment point that I had overpaid in Jan but it was a nice surprise as I then didn't need to pay anything in July. The payments in advance and balancing make it very confusing.

Humph. I did the same last year - and they refunded me the excess several weeks later without mentioning it, then once we got past July when the second payment was due, they told me I was late in paying.

Can you tell I’m still pissed off about that?

The deadline has been extended by a month if that's any help to anyone

November is actually quite late to receive a clients information though. I have 250 clients, they would never get done if everyone sent their information in in November! Our cut off for receiving information for a guaranteed submission is 31st October, I would say about 1/3 have come in by then and to date I've never not got one submitted but that's because I do a hell of a lot of overtime from December onwards. I'm not having a moan at you personally just pointing out that to us, November is late

I wish my boss would take a similar approach. I send out reminders and chaser letters/emails but to no avail so as per previous years I have spent the last month or two waist deep in receipts and unrealistic expectations that I can provide a calculation a couple of days later.

Adding furlough/grants/payroll/pension issues into the mix this year has made it quite some year work wise

I would caveat my above moan by saying that I am very grateful that I do still have a job unlike a lot of other people this year.

Because HMRC have two completely separate systems/departments

You have the tax side of things which calculates the tax liability for the year

Then you have the collection side of things who actually deal with the payments, debt collection, refunds, etc

Never the twain shall meet. That's as true in real life as it is on the internet. Two different systems. The tax return side of things usually takes a day or two to populate through to the money/collection side of things

That's how HMRC (and it's predecessor HM Inspector of Taxes) were set up decades ago, i.e. different buildings etc., and that's carried on into the internet age

Regardless of two different systems they do meet in the middle, in your tax account. It clearly shows amounts due less amounts paid and a few days after you submit your return it shows you how much you need to pay on the following 31 Jan and 31 Jul.

It can't possibly only be me who has this on their gateway.

Please someone else confirm I'm not an outlier

Every. Damn. Year. I can't get logged on. Every year I have to update my password and every year it tells me that my Govt Gateway ID is wrong. Last year I screenshot it all and sent it to my accountant and even they were flummoxed.
I feel your pain.

I changed my phone number without telling HMRC. That led to impossible to log into SA account for a few weeks...

I only have to file self-assmt once every 7 yrs. I spend more time the following year explaining why I don't have to file self-assmt than I did having to file self-assmt. So never get the hang of it, never get a routine. I may well change my laptop & phone again before I actually need to file Self-assmt again.

@Alonelonelyloner

Every. Damn. Year. I can't get logged on. Every year I have to update my password and every year it tells me that my Govt Gateway ID is wrong. Last year I screenshot it all and sent it to my accountant and even they were flummoxed. I feel your pain.

Do you have more than one Gateway ID Alone. ie. one for self- assessment and one for Ltd Company? I only ask because I had a client ring me up in complete frustration over something similar but the problem was he was using the gateway ID for his Ltd Co but his password for his SA account. Possibly not that for you but just thought I’d mention incase.

@HeyHeyImABeLeaver it's a Good call, but I tried both of them. (One me, one ltd company) and it has been a shit show every which way. Arghhhhhh

@HeyHeyImABeLeaver I'm with you on this year being a hectic one! We probably would've got them all submitted on time anyway but the extended deadline for late filing fees has been a slight relief as it has meant any client we hadn't sorted who we know have no tax to pay, we have pushed back to next week and I've actually been able to half enjoy my weekend!

Thank you ! Just reminded my husband to pay the bill 🤣🤣🤣🤣 totally forgot x

@FabbyMagic

So I’ve submitted my self assessment today and know the calculation. On “your balance” it says I have no tax to pay but assume that’s because it can take up to 72 hours to update balance.

So do I pay the amount in the calculation now?

To pay online in my banking app I use my UTR and the letter K as my reference number when making the payment?

Presume I use HMRC Cumbernauld as I don’t know which it would be

Thank you!

Not sure if this has been answered but yes do this! Have you got an on account payment too?

[quote Alonelonelyloner]@HeyHeyImABeLeaver it's a Good call, but I tried both of them. (One me, one ltd company) and it has been a shit show every which way. Arghhhhhh[/quote]
Can your accountant not file for you from their agent gateway?