Saturday 21 April 2012

Question Re HMRC's SA200 Short Tax Return



An enquiry from a loyal reader about the SA200 Short Tax Return:
"Use the SA200 Short Tax Return when HMRC asks you to. 

This return is sent to specific customers - it can't be downloaded and can't be ordered online."
prompts me to ask, on her behalf, the following question.

Why can't it be downloaded or ordered online?


Tax does have to be taxing.

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20 comments:

  1. Erm......because its only sent to specific customers........

    If it was downloadable,a whole bunch of people would download it, send it in, get it sent back to them, with a request for a "proper" SA return etc etc.

    This WOULD happen.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Reading bewtwen the lines on the website suggests it is being used to push people to use the online system or have more boxes to fill in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Surely not, surely Gordon and his replacement George don't think like that do they?

      Give them some amount of "being reasonable"....?

      Delete
  3. The online form is actually really good. You tailor it to your needs before you fill it in so that you don't have fill in pages that are not relevant to you. I am pretty sure you can still use it even if you are normally sent the short one, but maybe an online services person can answer that better than me.

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    Replies
    1. Errrr no it isn't - why not just have the SA200 short tax form online?

      Delete
  4. The short SA return can only be completed by people in specific (i.e relatively simple) circumstances.

    The completed form is scanned by a computer, unlike full returns which are recorded by human hand. This explains why people are not able to download it and print off copies as differences in printer/paper quality would make it very difficult for the computer to scan it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why can't we complete the SA200 Short Tax Return online then?

      Is it becasuse it's a "secret" for a select few, such as MP's???? Ohhhhhhhh!!!

      Delete
    2. ehh, no. It's highly unlikely an MP would be able to file a short tax return. There is no 'secret'. Your paranoia is hilarious. When you file online you answer some questions at the start which allows the system to generate only the relevant boxes you require. It's really very straightforward.

      Delete
  5. My brother last year was "conned" for a better word into using the "Tax doesn't have to be taxing online" and found the whole application a complete shambles. Previously he had been completing the "SA200 Short Tax Return" and posted off the information.

    This year he waited for his tax return but is advised, "As he completed online last year, he has to coimplete online from now onwards" - despite the online version being much longer and the short tax return manual now only four pages (for self employed with only the one job anyway).

    Conclusion: Don't give up the Short Tax Return SA200 voluntarily, until the same version is available online - which brings me to my question: Why the hell isn't the short tax return available online???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The filing off a tax return online is a lot easier than completing ANY paper return. The online facility asks you a series of yes or no questions, if answered yes then it will ask for that particular income detail, if you select no then it will bypass that section.

      Delete
  6. The whole thing does my brain in. I have spent whole months of my time on this Earth trying to understand and reverse engineer the bloody calculations. The bastards at HMRC are just waiting for you to make a slip up so they can pounce. As they already have your courtesy of employers, banks, building societies, why go through this ritual every year. what is the big deal about not downloading SA200? Some of us actually like to know what we are going to be done for before actually pressing the SUBMIT button. HMRC are morons and the lack of an e-mail address for queries says it all.

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  7. I just called hmrc to order a paper SA200 as the letter advises me to do. After going through the menus the robot told me to download the form off the hmrc website, which we all have discovered is not available for download. Ha ha

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  8. having used the paper system for several years - my experience of HMRC is very different. HMRC decided- after they got to know my business -that i would be able to file the Short Form. In fact the slightly longer form of paper self assessment is a little easier to follow as you can list all the fields rather than summarise them under one heading. if you are self-employed you do have to accept that part of being capable of manaing a business - however small - will include the ability to manage your tax liabilities. If you cannot - then either get yourself an accountant or go back to working for someone else- it is that simple.

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  9. HELLO PEOPLE HERE IS A LINK FOR A SHORT TAX RETURN FOR 2013-2014 hope this helps everyone : ) http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/sa103s.pdf

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THIS OFF

      Delete
  10. Only pages 1 and 2 - what about 3 and 4???

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks, but I need SA200 -- they did send me a paper one but I could do with a spare to practise on.

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  12. Having been told two years ago I no longer was required to fill in a short tax return I was surprised this year when asked to fill in a tax return. The problem was no form was enclosed. Next problem was not available to download. I have writtenon two occasions for a form and have not even recived an acknowledgment. Ispent days on the phone trying to speak to someone and eventually got through. I explained the situation and ws assured that a form would be sent out to me. Two weeks later I am .
    still waiting. What an incompetent bunch, the service is atrocious.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Theyve probably been moved onto the tax credits phones. Unfortunately budget cuts have been made and continue to be made even more and people are now moved around to where they are most needed... To save taxpayers money You get what you pay for

      Delete
  13. Completely agree, we were sent the SA200 form, but due to error we needed another one and the phone lines are a minimum wait of 30 minutes. Searching online there is the SA supplement forms for the 100 version, but the idiots at HMRC put the £79,000 and not £81,000 in the information section, so I ended up printing two forms and as we all know printer ink is expensive as hell. Who is that prick from the advert that says "tax doesn't have to be taxing"?

    ReplyDelete