Moving off Self Assessment

[silver859]

Hello,

My Ltd Company was dissolved last year and I haven't been working since. I've been sent through a Self Assessment request for this tax year which as I understand should be my last. My tax affairs are simple and I was only ever moved onto Self Assessement as a result of being a limited company Director.

My question is what's the best way of informing HMRC to stop sending me tax returns? Should I call them up via the SA helpline or write to the local tax office? When is the best time to inform them?

Whenever I've called that helpline in the past it seems to be a confusing myriad of sub menu's that lead nowhere.

Has anybody else here had experienece of this - was it a complete nightmare to get off Self Assessement or was the process pretty easy??

Thanks
Silver

[Craig@Clarity]

You should be able to simply put an explanation in the additional notes field towards the end of your tax return informing them that you ceased to be a director as at dd/mm/yyyy and that all future income will be through PAYE. They'll then process the tax return and hopefully pick this point up and write to you to say they no longer expect you to complete one but to let them know if your circumstances change.

[escapeUK]

I bet they will send you one every year till you die, and even after that.

[sktaxadvice]

The best advice would be complete the latest return they send you and write in the white space why you no longer need a return (The fact you are no longer a director should be enough dependant on your other affairs) and when you submit it to HMRC do so by registered post they should then pick this up when completing the return.

If completing online then enter the infomation in "any other infomation"as to why you should no longer complete a tax return.

[philip@wellwoodhoyle]

Writing in the "additional information" box is no guarantee that what you write will ever even be read, let alone acted upon. If you submit on paper, the paper is either scanned or manually keyed in by an data input clerk who has no power/interest in flagging up what you write. If submitted electronically, it's just one computer talking to another, again with no "intelligence" about words in the box. It may work, it may not. You're best bet is to actually tell HMRC of your circumstances and ask them not to send SA returns for future years - write or phone them. If they agree, they'll send you a letter to say that they won't send you SA returns in future - if you don't get such a letter, you're still in SA and will have to complete one again next year, so keep an eye open and make sure you've received the letter by say December, as HMRC systems start to trigger issues of returns again early in the new year ready for Apr 12. And, whatever you do, DON'T tick box 3 on page TR5 where it says "if you are likely to owe tax for 2010-11 ..... and do not want us to use your 2010/11 PAYE tax code .... to collect the tax..." - ticking that box automatically means that they'll issue a SA tax return next year - be warned!