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Original poster

worried about HMRC home visit

27 replies

electricblankets · 03/01/2025 09:31

Hi,

I currently owe HRMC £515. I am trying to solve this, however I am aware that they can send out HRMC field officers to your home - I would hate this. How likely is this for what I imagine is a relatively small debt?

Thank you

OP posts:
PlantDoctor · 03/01/2025 09:33

Doesn't sound very likely. Do you have any PAYE income? If so they would probably pull it from that.

Jaapssthia · 03/01/2025 09:35

If you are actively working with them to solve this, the chances of them coming to your home are zero.

claudiawinklemansfringetrimmer · 03/01/2025 09:48

No, deeply unlikely, nearly everything is done by letter or phone unless there’s a really compelling reason they’d need to do a visit and £550 is peanuts to them- it would be a waste of resources. As a pp said if you have PAYE income it will likely be taken off there over the course of the tax year.

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General money
Randomontheinternet25 · 03/01/2025 09:54

They won't come out for that amount of money , why do you think they would?

Neveranynamesleft · 03/01/2025 09:57

For that amount of money absolutely no chance.

Sherararara · 03/01/2025 10:12

Highly unlikely.

caringcarer · 03/01/2025 10:13

I'm sure in January they are busy dealing with peoples self assessments. They won't be going out anywhere.

spoonfulofsugar1 · 03/01/2025 10:14

Some people owe thousands. I owed more than that at one point. There's no way they are coming out.

MyUmberSeal · 03/01/2025 10:15

They will adjust your tax code if you have PAYE income, and get the money back that way.

biscuitsandbooks · 03/01/2025 10:19

The chances are practically zero. There are people who owe tens of thousands of pounds who don't get a visit.

They'll contact you via phone call or letter, but it's always best to go to them and offer a payment plan if you're struggling. They are actually incredibly helpful if you go to them first.

PandyT · 03/01/2025 10:22

They won't send anyone out to you.

This is a very rare occurrence these days and only really happens to a Business premises where they may want to see what you are doing (eg you state you are turning over a few quid as a hobby income yet own a huge warehouse filled to the brim with cheap stock!) and inspect your accounting records.

Ask for a time-to-pay arrangement if you need to and pay it off monthly.

DreamW3aver · 03/01/2025 10:23

Unless you've missed some 0s off your post there is no chance they will be visiting

Elleherd · 03/01/2025 10:34

I would think it incredibly unlikely, having in the past had a very major disputed issue with them that lasted years over big money. No visits over many years of arguing, including in person meetings at their offices. (most of which are closed down now) They actually wouldn't come out when I suggested they take a look at my premises and what they where set up for, which wasn't the category they had decided I operated my business in.
The only exception is if there is a criminal case attached to it, which I assume not.

If this is a protracted disputed situation where they say you owe, and you say you don't, (rather than you simply owe it, but don't have it) then demand an actual case manager, it makes a massive difference, and for me suddenly sped up resolution after years of ridiculousness.

Otherwise stop worrying about being visited, start offering what you can, and don't worry over what's simply not in their interest to do.

notnorman · 03/01/2025 10:38

No, I owe them ten thousand after years of them messing up my tax code (I have a few paye jobs). I pay back monthly over 5 years.

(This is despite me ringing them to ask them to investigate and telling them I have a number of jobs etc 🤦🏼‍♀️)

devilspawn · 03/01/2025 10:38

Had a relative who owed £200,000 for over a decade and they never visited.

MaidaOrleans · 03/01/2025 10:38

There is a process to go through before they send anyone out. The first stage is letters and possibly phone calls, although the amount is relatively low. It’s expensive to send officers out and they won’t do so unless it’s cost effective or you have not cooperated over a very long period of time.

Get in touch with them today and set up a payment plan if they can’t code it in to your PAYE.

Turmerictolly · 03/01/2025 10:40

The only person I know who had a home visit owed over £100K in tax. I wouldn't worry about £500.

Agapornis · 03/01/2025 10:47

I owed them £1200 after they made an error with my tax credits. Gave them a call, spread the payment into £50 a month for 2 years.

Not because I couldn't afford to pay more... Because my savings were in a high interest account so I earnt another £50 or so in interest over those 2 years 😅

GreyBlackBay · 03/01/2025 10:49

It would cost them more than £500 to arrange a visit to you, and they wouldn't turn up unannounced or sieze your possessions or anything like that.

If you're earning thru could alter your tax code to collect it over the next year. You just need to agree how to pay them.

Doggymummar · 03/01/2025 10:52

They will just adjust your tax code and deduct it monthly till April. I had to file mine for 22/23 before the end of 2024 and will likely have the same.

hamsandyams · 03/01/2025 10:59

Chances of a home visit for £515 is zero.

I’ve had clients owe tens of thousands and I’ve never seen them do a home visit.

maddiemookins16mum · 03/01/2025 11:01

This will not happen. I work in Tax and HMRC do not make home visits.

FadedGreenGrey · 03/01/2025 11:01

Im sure no one will turn up for a £500 debt, and I hope you are able to make arrangements to set up a repayment with them

Anywherebuthere · 03/01/2025 11:04

Ring them up and arrange a payment plan to pay it off. Its very easy to do. There should be a phone number on your correspondence that you can ring.

If you don't pay within a certain time they do send it across to a debt agency to collect on their behalf. They made an error on the calculations which meant I owed them. I went past my deadline to pay up as I didnt read the letter properly.

The debt agency were really good and set up a reasonable payment plan. I could have paid it upfront but works out better not to. I owe a lot more than you and they have been very helpful in setting up a payment plan of low monthly payments.

mumda · 03/01/2025 11:05

If they send someone out for such a small debt then an investigation would need to take place to see why they're wasting so much money on home visits for small sums.