tax demand

[largo]

I have just been informed I am one of the lucky people that owe the tax man due to his bad accounting. It does look as though his figures are correct so I will end up paying. My question is; can I decide how I pay? I understand he wants his money in one year but I would prefer to pay over two years so there is less demand on my resources.

[factor-fiction]

I doubt it but it's worth asking. They will i'm sure charge interest if you do pay over a longer period.

[factor-fiction]

Hi Helen- I think this might be one of those recently publicised cases where HMRC has undercollected tax as a result of its own mistake

[karenmac60]

Mr mac got one because they didn't tax his incapacity benefit when he was off 3 years ago after having a kidney transplant and a heart attack. It's taken them this long to figure it out and they now want all the money when he can only work part time due to his health and his job is under threat anyway (even if he doesn't lose it his wages are being slashed). Why are they chasing up folk who cannot afford it when it was their mistake and they let folk like Philip Green off by putting his millions in his wife's name when she conveniently lives abroad. It's about time they chased these cheats up, the rest of us are suffering enough!

[Halifaxmum]

They can give you time (one, two, sometimes even more years) to pay it back. It depends on how much you owe, what your current income is, etc.
Just ring them and ask to speak to the back office (or get them to call you back) but always try to speak to the back office - the call centre staff don't have the training that the back office staff do, and often don't have the authority to grant such requests.

[buildersmate]

"chasing up folk who cannot afford it" - unfortunately it is the individual's job to establish if they have paid the right amount of personal tax. HMRC will work it out for the individual, but it is still the individual's respensibility to check it is right.

"they let folk like Philip Green off by putting his millions..." - unfortunately that is called tax avoidance, as distinct from tax evadence. Finding legal ways of earning money in places where it is not taxable, or at least less taxed. Have you never brought cheap spirits home from your foreign holiday? - the same thing only on a bigger scale.

[karenmac60]

Most folk on PAYE do not know how to check they have paid the correct tax, they trust the tax office to get it right since that is their job. And just because 'avoidance' is legal doesn't make it right.
And no, I cannot afford to go on holiday anywhere - I have been abroad 3 times in my life and I have never brought any duty free home.