Anyone do their tax return today?

[Goldstone Rapper]

I submitted mine today - but now realised that there are some bits I needed to change. Sadly the system is down!

 

[Chicken Runner61]

f***!!!

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Luckily, there is this helpful form http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/carter/sa-reasonableexcuse.pdf

If you say the system was down and record the error message code and time on your form, you won't get fined!

 

[seven stands]

did mine today and i did find it taxing

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Finding my P60 from 3 different employers was taxing enough!

 

[Chicken Runner61]

I reckon some time in the next 10 years EVERYONE will have to fill one in every two years.

That way the government will know exactly how much they can screw out of us

 

[Gully]

I reckon some time in the next 10 years EVERYONE will have to fill one in every two years.

That way the government will know exactly how much they can screw out of us

That would be pointless as the majority of people have only one income, on which they are taxed directly and correctly. I would rather the government pursued people with no visible source of income who don't appear to be paying any tax or National Insurance whatsoever.

 

[bhaexpress]

Posted mine Friday having tried for two weeks to do it online. Thanks to the stunning display of incompetence by the Inland Revenue 'Help' team I gave up in disgust as they could not seem to sort out my password !

Tax doesn't have to be Taxing ? It does when Inland Revenue staff have to be useless wankers.

 

[manilaseagull]

Why leave it until the last minute?

It has been known now for months it had to be in by Jan 31st?

I submitted mine earlier in the month and the money they owed was in the bank a few days later.

 

[The Auditor]

Filed the last few yesterday ...as an accountant ..please dont leave it to the last moment ..thats what causes all the problems ...system probably crashed due to large volume being filed

 

[sams dad]

Why leave it until the last minute?

It has been known now for months it had to be in by Jan 31st?

I submitted mine earlier in the month and the money they owed was in the bank a few days later.

What he said.

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

You have from early April right through to the end of jan to do your return and, for most taxpayers, they don't need that long. Do it early especially if your income is down from the previous year as this will reduce your 'payments on account'.

As for helplines, HMRC have been getting rid of experinced staff, down south, for the last couple of years and replacing them with call centre staff up north. Limited training is given, the premiss being that all the info is 'out there'.

One upside for the taxpayer is that there's less chance of a return actually being looked into. provided you've completed the right boxes and signed it, it'll probably sail through even if you appear to be living on fresh air so (claim to) have nothing to pay.

 

[Norman Baker suck my lozenge]

Don't bother any more,would rather cut out the middle man and give it straight to the sleeper cell that is planning to blow us all back to the dark ages.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

That would be pointless as the majority of people have only one income, on which they are taxed directly and correctly. I would rather the government pursued people with no visible source of income who don't appear to be paying any tax or National Insurance whatsoever.

Thats not the case anymore really - I know loads of people whose income is investments, dividends and even gambling.

They won't pay tax or NI in the true sense of PAYE but obviously pay tax in the form of taxable income (at the end of the year) and vat when they spend their income.

The tax system is a real mess and its getting worse, what the point of taking Paye off someone every month via their employer and then paying them tax credits back via their bank account. They only people benefiting are the backs who get paid for the transfers.

 

[Gazwag]

what the point of taking Paye off someone every month via their employer and then paying them tax credits back via their bank account.

probably to ensure people receive benefits. Under the old system employers could claim back tax credits they had "paid" to their employees without having actually made the payments. Its much safer to keep it out of PAYE.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

probably to ensure people receive benefits. Under the old system employers could claim back tax credits they had "paid" to their employees without having actually made the payments. Its much safer to keep it out of PAYE.

I can't recall tax credits ever being paid by employers and I don't think employers would ever get away without paying tax credits to their employees and besides tax credits are relatively new to the tax system.

Employees who claim and get tax credits would never let them get away with it.

They are more likely not to pay the Paye until they really have to.

As I said earlier the whole complex system is heading towards EVERYONE filling out a return once a year, they will roll tax credit applications and any other claims into one big form.


Just thought!!!! Now I know why they have started advertising I'd GO DIRECT GOV!!!!

 

[Gazwag]

I can't recall tax credits ever being paid by employers and I don't think employers would ever get away without paying tax credits to their employees and besides tax credits are relatively new to the tax system.

Until three or maybe four years ago they were actually, employers were advised of the weekly credit due to the employee (and then added to their net pay) and this was deducted by them from their monthly PAYE&NIC liability. If they only had a small number of employees the employer could request funding from HMR&C to cover the payments.

I personally would love it if everybody had to complete a tax return, but it will never happen, HMRC would not have the staff to deal with it after the recent culls and they are not going to employ more people

 

[adrian29uk]

I do mine the old fashioned way. It takes longer, but I much prefer handing the proper form.

How long do you need to keep your records for, i.e invoices, receipts and bank statements?

 

[Gazwag]

6 years

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

The tax system is a real mess and its getting worse, what the point of taking Paye off someone every month via their employer and then paying them tax credits back via their bank account. They only people benefiting are the backs who get paid for the transfers.

I worked on the implementation of the Tax Credits system at HMRC 2003-06 - it was so complex, the requirement was impossible to define. It was said at the time that Gordon Brown (who invented Tax Credits whilst he was Chancellor) should have been tried for treason as he had cost the country a Queen's ransome.

Incidently, I read somewhere about tax tarrifs - can't remember the exact numbers but went something like this. When the Tories were last in power there were something like 124 different tarrifs for tax (PAYE x 2, CGT, IT, Stamp x 1, CoTax, etc, etc. and after 8 years of GB as chancellor this more-than doubled - simple example was Stamp duty - 1% under Tories but now there are 3 different rates - he bought in the 10% PAYE, then took it out again - complicated doesn't even begin to explain this bloke.

So glad I'm not at HMRC now .... must be a nightmare. (changing VAT for 12 months - WTF )