argh. can't find all my tax info - will it matter?

[taxmoppet]

I've been doing my tax form online and started in really good time so not panic-ing too much.

Several weeks down the line and I'm still at about Jan 5th on my to do list and I realise that tomorrow is tax deadline day. arrghh.

I haven't been able to find my tax code notices for last year or this year or a tax statement from a bank account.

I've had a maternity break (unpaid ) for the tax year so have had very little income in; having paid plenty on account on last tax form I (eventually) managed to get them to not make me pay the same again for July payment (hadn't earnt any to pay it!) but to split the overpayment I'd made into two so it counted as both Jan and July payments IYSWIM.

The self assessment website says that I both owe money and am due a repayment so I am now really confused as to what I should be doing! And it wants me to tick that everything is correct but I don't know as I don't know what my tax codes are so I just don't know.

On top of that I can't find a bank statement so am not sure of income from bank interest. I have had a go at putting different amounts in (I know approx how much it should be as I split a sum between two accounts paying v similar interest so know right ballpark) - even putting more than double what I think the amount in doesn't change the amount of tax that I am due to pay so it is not like I am trying to pay the wrong amount of tax.

And it now seems that the help line is no longer open on a sunday.

Will it matter if I submit my tax form when info on it could be wrong? Or should I put a note in that the info box and ring them up next week? Or am I goign to get fined what ever happens?

I've already realised that they managed to charge me interest for late payment of the July amount despite me having significantly overpaid them and sorted all this out with them in early July.

Hope that all makes sense...

Thanks for your help!

your tax code won't necessarily affect your tax liability so you might not need the coding notices anyway. Only if you had previous year's tax deducted through your tax code (unlikely, as you were making payments on account) would they make a difference. So I wouldn't worry too much about them.
It's the same with bank interest. Normally banks deduct 20% tax when they pay over the interest, which means that if you're a basic rate tax payer then you have no extra tax to pay. That's probably the reason your tax liability doesn't change, even when you increase the amount of interest received. So just estimate the interest according to your best guess and don't worry about it.
It can happen that you've got both a repayment and owe tax. It might be easier to explain with numbers. Let's say that your tax liability (before any payments on account) is £2,000. You made total payments on account of £2,500. That means that for 2008/09 tax return you've overpaid by £500. But they want you to make payments on account for 2009/10 and each payment would be half of your 2008/09 liability i.e. £1,000. That means that you need to pay £500 overall today (£1,000 payment on account less £500 overpayment).
Hope that helps!

Thank you riksti, that does help explain how you can owe and be owed at the same time .

I guess the thing I am still worried about is do I submit my tax return now (assuming the system isn't down and just say that it is provisional, putting in a note to say about not finding the tax code and that I can't find out one amount (which is already interest paid so won't affect the final figure)? If I do that and something is wrong can they still slap a fine on me for not doing stuff early enough?

I haven't earnt anything using a PAYE code so I am making the (somewhat rash maybe) assumption that all my tax is going to be worked out on my tax form..

Next year I'm getting an accountant (partially because other stuff is changing and there will be other stuff he's needed for) - but have always done it online before and never had a problem, this year the form seems to have changed and isn't anywhere near as clear.

they won't issue the standard £100 fine for it being late if you submit it.

It they look at it (which actually is quite unlikely) and see that interest is estimates, and investigate, then you might end up with a penalty - but if you aren't a higher rate tax payer then there will not be any additional tax due on the bank interest even if it is a bit higher - and the penalty is tax based, so a % of nil is still nil.

On the interest charged - it sounds like they haven't actually reduced your poa, but that would mean that the 2nd poa was still showing as due. You might need to speak to them about that again as even if there is a repayment due now your poa were still due at jan 09 and jul 09 unless properly postponed - and if the tax turns out to have been correctly due then the interest would stand.

Hi Taxmoppet, do submit it even with provisional figures. I would go with your first option and do it sooner rather than later in case the system crashes.

Just one thing about marking it as provisional - they will expect you to provide final figures within a year. So you can't mark it as provisional and forget about it unless they enquire into it.
To be honest, I would just submit it as it is, since I don't think finding your bank statement or your coding notice is going to make any difference based on what you've said here. If you think you might find the missing paperwork and are really worried about submitting estimated figures then submit the provisional return but be prepared to notify them of the final figures within a year.
And like others have said before me - definitely submit it today to avoid the £100 penalty.

Thanks for all your advice - very much appreciated.

Maybe I'll not mark it as provisional, put a generous estimate in of the interest that I think should be in there for the statement and say that I thought that they had put the right figures in for the tax code...

I know ignorance probably isn't a defence when it comes to the inland revenue but at least I am showing willing to pay a bit more than necessary. and I'll delay on claiming my repayment for a week so there is no chance of having not paid enough!

Thanks again all - hope you are all having a good weekend.

Can you add up the interest on-line? or on your statements

I did that as I couldn't find my statement