To think the HMRC self assessment website is one of the worst designed websites ever?

[bluebeach]

It just seems like a mess. I’ve filed my return, now going back a few days later to pay and it says I owe one amount, then on another page I owe a slightly different amount that’s apparently late (despite me being up to date with payments), but overall I owe another amount, which isn’t the sum of the other two amounts. I want to see a proper breakdown and see what I need to pay now but it’s all such a maze and half the time the website is down. I’m more than happy to pay what I owe but every year I get the same frustration over a completely rubbish system. Is it just me?

I do find the payment weird. Like you have the tax you owe flash up have submission with the payment date(s) but it’s really not obvious how you pay; you then have to manually input the payment amount. Very few if any confirmation emails, particularly with actual amounts.

Maybe I need an accountant!

I found the form OK, but have been waiting since September for the rebate they owe me, and can't get through on phone to discuss it. I resorted to sending a letter but no reply that way either.

It’s an absolute shitshow and complete nightmare.

Yep it is infuriating. Also now arguing with them as £3000 more when I logged on to pay and they can't explain it.
Tried to say it was extra benefit in kind but then admitted that was a mistake too.

It is rubbish isn’t it! It is surprisingly hard to work out how to pay them or get money back.

I agree. The actual form bit is fine, but the payment part is really strange. It's difficult to tell how much you actually owe, and then it's difficult to find out how to pay it.

When you sign in, if you've completed your SA form, it should show you how much you owe and when it's due. You shouldn't have to dig for that info. And of course you should be able to pay on the site itself, and it should then update the amount owed on the front page.

YES! I did mine two weeks ago and it said I owed them just under 2 grand. Went back to pay it yesterday - it had changed to just under £600!

Why? I mean, I'm pleased but if I'd paid it straight away, they'd have had £1400 of MY money to hang on to for a while.

There's also very confusing stuff on there about what I'll have to pay mid-year and next year - and in the past, this has changed over time, too.

Yes the form itself is fine, but navigating around to find out what you owe (or what they owe you) is much harder. I ended up overpaying them because their systems are slow to update. Then I got a letter saying I owed them money despite my online account saying they owed me!

Agree agree agree!

Also the chat thing is so annoying to get into. So hard to find and then typing "advisor" loads of times until it lets you speak to someone.

I agree that stage is badly thought out

The rest is fine, quite good for simple and clear forms actually but the payment section isn’t good

They do it deliberately so you'll pay an accountant I rekon

I thought it was just me - although as my pyt difference was between 25p and 50p I let it go (and no I hadn't changed anything. THen went to pay and won't let me pay less than a pound. SO I left it - now had a text saying need to pay arghghghghghghg

I found it ok, i use quick books so all the information I needed was there and then I just popped it into the self assess site. The amount of reminders they are sending me is actually ridiculous though, I’ll hang onto it as long as I have to thank you very much 🙄

Try using their online chat facility - you should get a response fairly quickly.
Go to gov.uk and type contact HMRC in the search box. Click contact HMRC, clock self assessment, then select 'ask HMRC's digital assistant. Type 'adviser' in the message box and it should connect you to an adviser if there is one available

God, yes. I did mine ages ago and it said how much I needed to pay due 31st Jan. I paid at the time and the account shows I owe the amount in one place, on another it shows I owe it but I also have that much in credit and in another place there's a random £50ish amount that I don't understand at all.
I wouldn't mind but I'm paye and I only need to do one because sometimes bonus/overtime means I have to pay back some child benefit - I don't understand why there isn't a simpler way for cases like mine to be handled.

I've just had a chaser for a payment that I made 4 days ago. It's still not showing on my account.

The whole process is odd and annoying. I get it if you have declare extra income, but HMRC seem to use it as a way to not actively making the correct tax code calculations. So instead of taking the correct tax you then have a bill at the end of the year.

But why would HMRC care whether you use an accountant?

I find it quite awkward as well. Last year they changed the amount I owed after I'd paid it, so there was a tiny bit owing, but they didn't tell me by email, so I only knew because I logged in for another reason; and had to pay interest. I could have phoned and argued the toss, but I couldn't be bothered, which is probably what they rely on. This year they decided that I had magically stopped paying private pension contributions and lowered my tax code accordingly but it seems to have gone back now.

Last year I really struggled to pay by card as well, it just wouldn't work, so I had to pay by bank transfer and I am always worried that I will do something wrong when I do that. It was ok though.

I am lucky that I can manage with their errors, either overlook the small ones or wait to the end of the tax year to claim back.

Thank you fizznchips I did not know they had a chat facility.

The fact their own calculation doesn't take into account prepayments annoys me no end. I do several people's filing for them and I have to keep tabs on what they e already paid so they don't overpay and it's so frustrating.

Keeps the jobs doesn't it. And the accountants pay their own tax

It irritates me that they make it so hard to pay online. I’m terrified doing it by bacs incase I get a wrong digit on the reference. It’s a sodding nightmare

I'm glad I saw this thread as it prompted me to log in and double check there were no other nasty surprises waiting for me!

Does anyone else get a feeling of foreboding when they get a letter from HMRC? I always assume they will be saying I owe them money, although it seems to generally work more efficiently now.

I have been known to stomp about the house wailing, 'why won't they just let me fucking paaaaay??!' Annual treat for the family.

I wouldn't mind but I'm paye and I only need to do one because sometimes bonus/overtime means I have to pay back some child benefit - I don't understand why there isn't a simpler way for cases like mine to be handled

yes I only had to do it for this reason as well and it was very annoying. Now I earn a bit of freelance income so have to do one for that, at least it's very straight-forward for me and doesn't take long.