Self assessment statement says I owe 400 quid!

[Lastfreakinglegs]

I've just had something through the post saying I owe HM revenue and customs £400 for not filing a tax self assessment form by the deadline.

However I work for an organisation on a salary of 59k and PAYE. I don't claim child benefit as I'm over the 50k threshold. I have no other income. I may have got a self assessment number a few years ago before deciding it was easier to just cancel my child benefits rather than file a tax assessment every year.

Can anyone advise. I will ring them tomorrow but all the phone lines are currently closed right now.

Less any salary sacrifice pension/other benefits. You are probably entitled to more of it than you realise. Hope you get it sorted.

If you didn't close the self assessment down then this can happen. I got a CCJ for £11,000 a number of years ago when I assumed that as I was now claiming benefits and tax credits (which at the time HMRC paid), they knew I didn't need to do a self assessment anymore. I'd moved house and they had my new address to pay my tax credits, but used my old address to send all the self assessment letters to.

They charged me £100 a day for late filing and took it to court. Obviously, as I knew nothing about it, I didn't attend and only found out about the CCJ 2years later when I couldn't open a new bank account.

I went to court to get the judgement set aside but HMRC fought it. Luckily the judge ruled on my side but the HMRC said they would re apply for the CCJ. The judge told them that if they did, he wouldn't support it, but it was an awful time.

Good luck, as they are horrible if you get the wrong person.

Meme69 that is outrageous. Well done for fighting it!

You can wait for around 45 mins on the phone to HMRC so be prepared.

Op, I had a demand for £700 a few months back, not self assessment. They said they had overpaid me on a tax refund. They paid it twice, but cancelled the first cheque. It still showed on the system as paid twice. It took me months to get my tax refund due to numerous errors. I rang up and they did not sort it. I wrote and complained and they issued me a £100 payment. Do challenge anything you are uncertain of.

My neighbour got a bill for over £6,000 and naturally very upset. It was because she had not filled in a SA form as her dh earned nearly £60,000 and they claimed child benefit. I had had a letter and acted immediately. My bill was £500 and they wrote off the fine. Turns out she ignored the letter and it would be over £1700 pa to pay back per annum.

Never ignore but do challenge op. Good luck.

Even if you do need to submit a self-assessment form, you're not late. Online returns can be done until the end of January. I would strongly suspect that letter is a scam, OP, but you absolutely must talk to HMRC to confirm.

It is always worth keeping an eye on your affairs with HMRC. Check your online account/gateway, always open letters and read them, and look at all pay slips. I know it’s boring, but I never understand why people don’t do it.

@bridgetreilly the OP letter relates to year before so it’s a year late!

Yes it's from 18 - 19 and is a fine for non completion. They've asked me to send in an SA100 and an SA101 and an appeal letter.

The man has also cancelled by self assessment code going forwards.

You earn £59,000 but can't find £400?

@contrmary

You earn £59,000 but can't find £400?

I wondered this.

Keep an eye on it for next year, just in case the machine already has it queued up!

I had simialr issues over a 12 year period - changing jobs, doing 2 degrees and being self employed for year. I got it sorted over the phine very easily, reams of paperwork to be sent. But had to leap in again to stop the next reminder... and the next.

@contrmary correct. 3 k a month income. Around 2k a month outgoings before food, kids stuff. Single parent.

@Christmasbellsareringing there is little left at the end of each month, even though I live frugally.

@lastfreakinglegs glad you spoke to someone reasonable. FWIW I earn £76k a year and after pension, NI and PAYE tax I bring home around £3,700 a month. I'm a single mum to 3. After mortgage (£1750), utilities and car tax and credit card bills (emergency house repairs) etc, I have less than £400 a month to live off, to buy food etc, so I totally get that you wouldn't have £400 sitting around!!

Hopefully they will accept your appeal.

@contrmary

You earn £59,000 but can't find £400?

We earn quite a bit more and yes I'd find the idea of forking out 400 in that completely unplanned way not that straightforward. Possible yes but not welcome. As a single parent I can imagine OP may find that even harder.

OP - we had a similar issue and we didn't need to appeal. We just completed the late assessment they wanted (completely pointless as husband was under the threshold at that stage, I think it was 17/18 they wanted) to confirm nothing was owed and the fines disappeared. In our case it seems that we had registered for self-assessment once without necessarily needing to/wanting to and when we actually "revived' the account as this time we needed it, it led to all this confusion.

Re child benefit - do check you'd actually have to repay it all as your income would be assessed after pension contributions and if you give to charity that can help too!

@Meme69 your life circumstances sound similar to mine. Thanks for your advice everyone. I've been so stressed today. I will send the paperwork and appeal tomorrow.

Good luck @Lastfreakinglegs. Sounds like a bad day, but hopefully will get sorted.

When is it from? I’ve had one through asking me for £1400! From 2014 which is insane they haven’t flagged this before.

A couple of friends have had similar, I think Rishi must be scraping the tax barrel dry for Covid and finding any tiny mistake made. I’m going to call them tomorrow.