Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Original poster

I hate the taxman!

11 replies

Sugarmuppet · 03/12/2010 13:53

Got a letter this morning saying that I have underpaid tax by £1500. Shock.

On their workings my income was £30k on my P60 my earning are £16k.

I was off sick then maternity leave almost all last year. Even the year before on a full wage I only earned 22k.

Anyway rang them up and the woman was very snooty. She says that they seldom make mistakes and I must have another income for them to get that figure. Hmm.

I said I only had one income and I had my P60 infront of me. Was told to send it to them and they will take a look - but not to hold my breath because these things are rarely wrong.

How can this be? Is she a total numpty or might I really owe the money? Angry Sad

OP posts:
PDR · 03/12/2010 14:17

They clearly do get things wrong or noone would be getting under/over payment notices in the first place!

Does it not say which year they are claiming the underpayment? Can you cross reference what went into your bank account with the figure on your P60 - I know that will be after deductions etc but a difference of £14k is huge!

I'm sure someone more knowledgable will come along soon....

Original poster
Sugarmuppet · 03/12/2010 14:28

Yes, the year is April 2009 to April 2010.

Figures gone through payslips and added them up, figures on P60 are correct and I got the correct wages into my bank.

Do they take into account benefits? Even then I only started getting child benefit and tax credits in Feb 2010 to the total of £160 per month.

If they want to give me the £14k I will gladly give them back £1500!

OP posts:
PDR · 03/12/2010 14:36

As far as I am aware Child Benefit and Tax Credits are not taxable so these would not count.

Any other benefits which are taxable such as Maternity Pay? What about sick pay but presumably both these would be on your pay-slips...

They've probably just made a mistake and you got a bit of a numpty on the phone! Of course they make mistakes! What a silly thing for her to say!

Panic not!

PinkElephantsOnParade · 03/12/2010 21:24

Oh yes, they make plenty of mistakes! Grin

Maternity or sick pay would be put through your payroll and will be included on your P60.

Don't worry, it will be a simple keying error of some kind.

Send in the P60 and it will soon be sorted out.

gregssausageroll · 04/12/2010 15:52

But please keep a copy yourself and send it recorded delivery!

PinkElephantsOnParade · 05/12/2010 19:53

Actually, send a copy.

They should have all this info on file anyway, they just need to find it.

nancy75 · 05/12/2010 19:57

they don't make mistakes! oh my god the cheek of it! about a million people have been under/overcharged by the dept that don't make mistakes.
Keep copies of everything you send them, send it all recorded delivery and note the date & time of every call along with the name of the person you speak to.

catinthehat2 · 05/12/2010 20:07

Don't send originals FGS.

Start a Word document which lists every contact by time & date & person with a record of teh converation, starting with your Friday convo.

You an cut & paste this into future letters as this wends on into the future.

gabity · 18/11/2011 15:54

I stated this thread last year (since name changed!) Thought I would carry it on for this year!

Got a letter today with - you guessed it - a letter saying I had underpaid by 4k!!!

Earnings are almost double with their calculations compared to mine.

I eventually got last years sorted out in July! By which time they had taken a great chunk of the £1500 back in tax, didn't get a refund until October, and now it has happened again.

Despite asking I never got to the bottom of why they had the wrong figure last year, could someone else by using my NINO? How can I stop it taking so long to sort out this year? I phoned them (waited to speak to someone for 20 mins) then was told (again) that it was highly unlikely to be a mistake and put it all in writing. :(

CogitoErgoSometimes · 18/11/2011 16:49

I think it's starting to sound like they've got you confused with someone else. As big a discrepancy as you describe from last year would be unusual. Small errors are more common. To repeat the mistake the following year is more than a coincidence. If you're a PAYE employee (rather than self-employed) and your income/perks are a steady amount each month rather then high or low because of comission or bonuses, there is no reason why you should owe them anything at all.

My first thought, therefore, is to contact your employer and have them follow this up on your behalf. What information is your wages department sending to HMRC? My second thought is that you need to send copies of your last payslips and P60 to HMRC as soon as possible in order to resolve the problem. Finally I'd recommend that you complete a self-assessment tax return in future as soon as you get your P60 each year. I've had problems with HMRC in the past, usually when there has been some change in my circumstances and they are a bit slow to catch up. Since submitting self-assement tax returns on line each year, the problems have disappeared.

Good luck

Auntiestablishment · 20/11/2011 17:59

Have you got a copy of their calculation? That should help you with where the problem comes from.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page