As from 16th December 2011 HMRC has been accepting Faster Payments (FPS):
"From 16 December 2011 HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will be able to accept payments made using the Faster Payments Service. This will allow you to make faster electronic payments, typically via internet or telephone banking, enabling them to be processed on the same or next day."
Hoozah!
Except that, according to the ICAEW Tax Faculty on 4th January:
"When you file a VAT return online, the
HMRC website generates an on screen acknowledgement to confirm receipt.
The message currently given by this response says:
‘Please note: HMRC does not
operate the Faster Payments Service (FPS), which is offered by some
banks. Electronic payments will normally take three bank working days to
reach the HMRC account.’
The Tax Faculty has been in touch
with HMRC about this and we can confirm that our news story is correct,
HMRC does now accept Faster Payments. The message in the HMRC website
confirmation response will be amended as soon as possible."
Oh well, nearly there!
Tax does have to be taxing.
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As I can't contact HMRC, maybe somebody here can answer a simple question –
ReplyDelete'Do the unemployed complete Self Assessment Tax Returns?
Thank you
(or where the information can be found online)
If you have been sent a return YOU have to return it, even if nil tax is due, otherwise you will get an automatic £100 fine.
ReplyDeleteIf you do not fill in your tax return in this year even if it's nil you will get a £100 fine which will not be cancelled.
ReplyDeleteIn other years the £100 has been waivered in certain cases i.e. a nil return this year it will not... there are going to be a lot of annoyed people out there in a month's time when the letter drops through the door.
That's what I thought – HMRC, how to win friends and influence people – so YOU lot had better be prepared! Proverbial will be hitting the fan (again) very shortly.
ReplyDeleteStill it's a shame it doesn't say anything anywhere on the HMRC website about the unemployed and tax returns.
So even the unemployed now join the ranks of 'fund generation' for Govt, via HMRC (fines) while big business runs tax avoidance – seems fair and about right... lawfully right, morally... (see this blog and previous comments about 'avoidance and 'fairness').
Errrrm......send it back on time = no fine.
ReplyDeleteSimple, no?
Does being unemployed bring you under SA? or would there have to be other factors involved? like being employed/self employed during the year concerned.
ReplyDeletedoes it not say on the return/notice requiring return that it must be submitted even if there is nothing to declare,.
ReplyDeleteYes, if you are still registered to file a return you must do so or you will face a penalty. Don't forget to include your taxable benefits
ReplyDelete9 January 2012 17:00
ReplyDeleteIf you are registered to file a return YOU told HMRC in the first place that you had to fill in a return. If you are no longer working you need to tell them that too. HMRC cannot read minds. Knob head
A lot of people who were previously self employed but cease trading-either because they're claiming JSA or have gone into employmen-t automatically assume they will not be required to complete future self assessments. If they've been issued they must be completed as folks on here have stated. Putting a note on the return advising a cessation date should prevent future Returns being issued.
ReplyDelete9 January 2012 17:00
ReplyDelete"If you are no longer working you need to tell them that too. Knob head"
1 ASSUMPTION (HMRC, par for the course... don't believe everything you read) the statement was from someone who is/was/maybe unemployed –
HMRC ... knobheads (maybe it was rhetorical, knobhead, I think you'll find 'knobhead' is one word)
2 What HMRC opens the post?
3 f you are no longer working you need to tell them – 'HOW'?
"9 January 2012 17:27"
4 "Does being unemployed bring you under SA?"
EXACTLY
5 HMRC creates more adverse response from 'the public' without thinking it through... penalise the unemployed £100 and spend mega bucks recovering it. Makes sense (not).
6 HMRC – await the onslaught (when this reaches everyone in the next few weeks). Will HMRC be prepared... no way.
7 What return?
(HMRC says 'we haven't received it...
customer who posted it says... 'we haven't received it' ....
so when is evidence of posting accepted in law? )
9 January 2012 17:57
ReplyDelete"Don't forget to include your taxable benefits"
ABSOLUTELY, the concept that 'state benefits' are free handouts never makes the News at 10.
Do illegal immigrants pay tax on their state benefits?
Why are some people on this page so fffffing dumb?
ReplyDeleteHMRC isn't out to penalise the unemployed. The simple fact of the matter is that the law says if you've been sent a return then you need to send it back.
The law has been changed this year so that even if you don't owe anything then you still get charged the £100.
However, if you were unemployed all of last year all you need to do is put the taxable amount on your return.
Stop victimising yourselves. If you've ceased self employment, but the date you ceased in a box on the self employment page.
How difficult is this? Fill in a box on the self employment page giving the date that you ceased. There's even a box on the return which asks you this.
If you've stopped renting property, tick the box on the property page.
There have been enough communications about it to the people who file by paper or online, if they choose to ignore it then that's their problem.
Which other department would you get away such a stupid excuse apply that people thought something that says quite clearly "you are required by law" wouldn't apply to them? "Sorry guv I thought the 10'3" sign was just a guideline, it's all the DfT's fault my bus got ripped in half".
"Sorry I thought that if I had JSA I could still work, they should have told me that the dole was only for people out of work".
"Sorry I thought that 1L of spirits was an average".
"Sorry I thought 'avoid London airspace' meant I could fly my private jet through kensington, islington and dartford and it only applied to the city of London".
"Sorry but I know this land registry print says I don't own this land - but I thought I'd build a conservatory in it anyway".
"Do illegal immigrants pay tax on their state benefits?"
ReplyDeleteThe Sun/Express/Mail person, comments like this are getting very old.
@9 January 2012 20:44
ReplyDeleteIf you are just going to make cynical statements (e.g. Ha, typical, always useless those people in HMRC) about the department without any justification other than it amuses you to try and wind people up then don't expect people to try and answer your questions.
@20.44
ReplyDeleteCharitably, I will assume English is not your first language.
You are, still, however, a cock of the first degree.
@10 January 2012 14:41
ReplyDeleteCharitably? What's the point?
The comments made so far indicate that this person is an agent who has no intention of submitting his clients tax returns on time even if they don't have any income that HMRC is aware of, with a view to carrying a specific case to tribunal stage so that a precedent is set whereby HMRC is scared to ask for any self assessment returns even when information is available that suggests HMRC is entitled to ask for a return.
It would make accountants lives far easier if HMRC is strangled at both ends when it comes to requesting information