Income Tax … excessive deductions and inadequate service.

[diadem01]

From the outset I must say I'm reporting personal experiences but I have learnt from an unusually friendly revenue assistant that mine is not a unique situation. She is probably sick to death of the complaints.

It appears that the Inland revenue have tried to introduce a new system and in doing so have created havoc with the original tax codes. Pensioners and part time workers in particular will be affected and the overpayment of tax can be quite substantial.

Many, many people are affected, which is why the telephone number is almost permanently engaged or requires a very lengthy wait (up to two hours has been reported). The usual response is a stream of information followed by the comment that they cannot help you at the moment and you should call again. This is followed by an abrupt 'goodbye'. This has been the case for several weeks now and no improvement has shown itself of late. If you have found your tax code changed to BR, the probability is that you are one of the affected.

As I see things, there is something very wrong indeed when income tax is wrongly deducted and no reasonable means of challenging the action exists. Incidentally, even snail mail protests are taking around 55 days (and counting) to draw an initial answer from the Revenue and even that will not necessarily resolve your problem.

Having drawn the attention of my MP to the problem, I would encourage anyone similarly affected to do likewise. MPs hate to be pursued about tax and administrative matters like this even though this problem is not the fault of the current government.

I hope that AB will not object if I duplicate this post on Chatterback because it could be a very serious situation for many taxpayers..

[boxtops]

Thank you diadem. The changes in tax code were implemented on 6th April and tbh, nobody I know or work with has been affected. My dealing with the HMRC have always been very courteous and have been resolved satisfactorily so if things are going wrong, it must be quite recent.

[diadem01]

Have to agree with you about past courtesy, Boxtops, … but; it began around March, I understand, when a new system was superimposed on top of the original system and the duplication is the cause of the havoc. Let's see what response the post draws.

[factor-fiction]

Sorry, I'm not aware of any problems affecting people this year. I know and Radio 4's Money Box usually picks up on these things but I don't recall them covering it (although I did miss one in April whilst abroad).

[micmak]

My tax code was changed to BR on my company pension. I rang the tax office, gave them all my details and 3 days later i received a letter of apology and my new coding. They also informed my pension provider that code BR was incorrect. One phone call and job done.

[diadem01]

I think I can draw a line under this matter having now established contact with HMRC. I did have big problems with them and much of what I said was true … but it seems that it was more limited than I'd been led to believe.
All the same, the advice to watch these matters carefully is no less valid … and it certainly isn't broccoli, whatever redhelen meant by that.

[boxtops]

I think the best way to manage income tax, anyway, is to have a straightforward relationship with your tax office. I've had problems in the - relocated, changed job, and more than one job - but it's always been sorted out, if I have overpaid (or indeed underpaid) it's always been sorted satisfactorily.