Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

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

HMRC- how to sort out their muddle

15 replies

Oreservoir · 27/01/2021 16:11

I live abroad and therefore have to file my self assessment on line using recommended software.
I did this last October and have a receipt from HMRC to confirm this.
Unfortunately it has never been linked to my tax account and despite many phone calls is not resolved.
To add to the confusion a tax adviser told me to send a copy of my online submission by post with a covering letter.
This has resulted in HMRC charging a penalty for a late paper submission.
Every different adviser puts a note on my records but nothing changes.
I cannot re submit online because it is classed as an amendment.
Can anybody advise me. If there is a way to re submit I will.
Presently I've done everything they asked and am being penalised for doing so.

OP posts:
HollowTalk · 27/01/2021 16:15

Do you mean you're registered for self employment and go into the HMRC site under self assessment? What happens when you look at your account now? Is it that you just didn't click submit? (Sorry, just wanted to clarify.)

Original poster
Oreservoir · 27/01/2021 16:20

I submitted via tax filer. It was accepted, I have an IR number and one adviser said he could see my submission and would get it linked, that was last November. The next adviser insisted we had only sent an amendment but had a different number so we think the first adviser made the problem worse.
She, 2nd adviser, recommended we send a paper copy, this has also made things worse.
I rent out a property.

OP posts:
Original poster
Oreservoir · 27/01/2021 16:21

As we're abroad were not supposed to send paper submissions.

OP posts:
HollowTalk · 27/01/2021 16:35

Oh blimey. That sounds awful. They shouldn't charge you for being late - they might say it now but I'm sure once it's sorted you won't have to pay.

How many times have you called them? I found them incredibly helpful when I called.

There's an online chat here but it's busy at the moment. I imagine you'd be very lucky to get onto it given how many more people are submitting claims this year but it might be worth a try. I'm not sure what access they online guys have to accounts. They may well be just there to give general advice about self assessment.

Original poster
Oreservoir · 27/01/2021 16:39

Everyone we've spoken to has been polite and tried to help but 3 months on nothing is resolved.
My dh submitted his on the same day no problem.

OP posts:
bigbluebus · 27/01/2021 16:54

When my DS had an issue with HMRC he was told something different every time he rang and was fobbed off in the nicest possible way. I told him to ring again and ask to speak to a supervisor/manager. They said there was no one available but they'd get someone to ring back. We didn't hold out much hope but someone actually rang back later the same day, actually understood his/their problem properly, took the appropriate action to correct it and told him how to avoid the same situation from arising again (basically not allowing himself to be fobbed off by HMRC call handlers giving him incorrect information).
So my suggestion would be to ring again, explain that this is now an issue that multiple call handlers have failed to resolve and please can you be put through to someone more senior. Sometimes the call handlers just don't have the training to deal with unusual things. (Have had similar experiences with National Savings and Benefits Dept ).

Original poster
Oreservoir · 27/01/2021 16:57

@bigbluebus thanks. I'll try that tomorrow early.
Its really getting ridiculous now.

OP posts:
HollowTalk · 27/01/2021 17:05

Given that you have given it in and do have evidence, I think I'd call on 1st February rather than this week, as they will be inundated with calls. You have proof you sent it - they can't charge you extra.

Original poster
Oreservoir · 27/01/2021 17:10

@HollowTalk good idea.

OP posts:
Days0fW0nder8 · 27/01/2021 19:36

Have you registered for self assessment on the Government gateway website www.gov.uk ?

You can see all your transactions online for each year

I believe you select the " income from property" section

The other way would be to pay an accountant to do it for you

Original poster
Oreservoir · 27/01/2021 22:26

Yes. It was activated last October.
I can access my account but there's nothing there.
At one point for a few days it said nothing to pay on my account but thats all been removed again.

OP posts:
ListeningQuietly · 27/01/2021 22:29

Pay an Accountant to sort it for you

userxx · 28/01/2021 09:01

@Oreservoir I've had this issue with tax filler, sent the return but it didn't link up to the client, it took a few phone calls to sort out but it did eventually. I just kept harping on about the original date it was sent and they managed to trace it.

Original poster
Oreservoir · 28/01/2021 10:53

Thank you @userxx.
I think my mistake was taking advice from the call handler who told me to send a hard copy of the online submission as they want to fine me for a late paper copy although living abroad you're not allowed to self assess like this.
My dsis used to work for hmrc and she says they make mistakes with 1 in 4 accounts.
Imagine if health professionals made similar mistakes.

OP posts:
Days0fW0nder8 · 28/01/2021 11:40

If you have access to your self assessment on the Government gateway, why can't you fill out this years information. The deadline is 31 Jan

New posts on this thread. Refresh page