HMRC Payment line hanging up on me?! Anyone else?

[WoolyMammoth55]

(So of course I realise in a perfect world I'd have dealt with this before the deadline, but I have 2 small poorly kids...)

I finally finished double-checking my figures and submitted my SA tax return last night.

It turns out I've underpaid my student loan this year - think perhaps my PAYE coding has been slightly wrong.

So on top of the small income tax, I've got a hefty chunk of SL repayments, AND for the first time every they are asking for 50% of next year's tax 'on account'.

This blows my budget out of the water and I can't pay.

When I try to create a payment plan online (first time I've ever needed to do this) it says I'm "not eligible" for this service and that I need to call the helpline.

I though that might be an error last night, but have logged out and in and re-tried the link several times and it's still saying the same thing. So I think it's correct, and I need to speak to an advisor.

I called at 8am when the line opened and it kept asking for my UTR number and then hanging up on me - phone call log confirms I tried 8 times.

I then did the school run and tried again at 10am. I held on the line as long as I could, which was 45 mins, then had to get on a work call.

I called back at 12ish, and had the same thing as at 8am, where the call would connect and I'd get a snippet of recorded greeting, then the line would go dead. I think the message was referencing 'technical difficulties' at that point.

I then called back after the school run. I got connected and passed the automated ID tests and then held for an hour listening to muzak and 'your call is important to us'. Then the line went dead.

I've just called back and the recorded message now says 'Thank you for your call. Your call cannot be taken at the moment. Goodbye'.

I mean - SERIOUSLY?! Is this legal? If they try to charge me £100 for late payment do I have to pay?

I am still, have been all day, within the deadline and within my rights, attempting in good faith to make a payment towards the tax I owe. It's been a really shit time for our family (DH's self-employment wrecked by Covid, having a lockdown second baby, juggling mat leave with trying to keep the wheels on things) and I think His Majesty's Revenue and Customs should be answering the phone line that they are giving me no option except calling.

I hope this helps. I've just got off the phone to HMRC and apparently you only get a late payment fine when it's 28 days late. However, they can charge you interest between tomorrow and this 28 days. I'd keep trying to get through. My phone was ringing for two hours x

Yes I had the hanging up thing earlier today when I tried to call them with a query. Probably their busiest day of the year so I guess they can’t handle the sheer number of calls.

FWIW, although I’ve always managed to get my return in on time, I usually pay a week or two into February, I’ve never been fined or given a warning for doing this.

Thanks @greyfox82 - I just called back and passed the security etc and then got "thanks for calling. Goodbye" AGAIN :(

What number are you calling? Try 0300 2003310

Have you tried twitter, I had a problem that a few years ago and they came back within a couple of hours asking me to direct mail them .

I got through after about 1 hr 10 mins but that was a few days ago.... I imagine it's very busy today!

Ugh thanks all. @greyfox82 that wasn't the number I had but it did the same thing - cleared security then "thank you for calling - goodbye". I'm in shock about it really!

Thanks for the reassurance @Lonelycrab though - if I keep trying this week, I have my phone logs to prove I tried MULTIPLE times to get through. Hopefully they won't charge a penalty. I feel so stressed but hopefully it will be ok :(

If you think the extra tax due this year that has taken you into the payment on account system is a one off you can apply to reduce the payment on account to the level you expect your tax bill to be for the next year. That should help with cash flow.

Same thing happened to me on Monday. I did eventually get to speak to someone who told me it can take between 3-5 days for the system to update your payment

I had this and needed to leave it over the weekend to update online and then I was able to set up a repayment plan. They’ve extended the deadline to pay by a month I think due to all the crap that’s going on in people’s lives

This was on their twitter this morning

Thanks all - that makes me much less panicked! Really appreciate the screen grab @Spottypaperdoll - phew! :)

Speaking as someone who did hers on Monday I'd still say YABU to think it's in good faith to try and get hold of HMRC on 31st. You've had months. There's no justification left.

I was hopping mad on Monday because I had all the complicated real info I needed but the easy P60 info wasn't automatically inthe form as it usually is and my work payslip system locked me out. I was soooooooo hacked off at myself for being so stupid as to leave it so late.

Just thought it was worth mentioning- HMRC couldn’t validate my ID yesterday to set up a direct debit online but today I thought I would give it a go before calling again, and I was able to do it 🤷🏻‍♀️ god knows what’s happened in 24hrs but there you go.