HMRC - getting out of Self Assessment Tax Returns

[Hello1024]

4+ years ago I was self employed so I had to fill in a tax return.

I then stopped being self employed and became a student with no significant income, and informed HMRC. They said I would have to do 1 more return, which I did.

They then demanded another return, but promised it was the last, so I did that too.

and again...

and again...

Every time, when I ask why I have to fill in a return they say "We have the right to ask anyone to do a tax return for any reason, and we require you to do one and can't tell you why. We can't tell you if you will need to do one again next year.".


How do I get out of this!? Is there any appeals process? Is there any way I can force them to tell me why?

[northernladuk]

So what do you do now? Still a student or working again?

[Moscow Mule]

https://online.hmrc.gov.uk/shortforms/form/DPU_SAR

[northernladuk]

https://online.hmrc.gov.uk/shortforms/form/DPU_SAR

Please note you have 15 minutes to complete this form before your session will be terminated and all information entered will be lost.

Sounds very serious doesn't it!

[prozak]

4+ years ago I was self employed so I had to fill in a tax return.

I then stopped being self employed and became a student with no significant income, and informed HMRC. They said I would have to do 1 more return, which I did.

They then demanded another return, but promised it was the last, so I did that too.

and again...

and again...

Every time, when I ask why I have to fill in a return they say "We have the right to ask anyone to do a tax return for any reason, and we require you to do one and can't tell you why. We can't tell you if you will need to do one again next year.".


How do I get out of this!? Is there any appeals process? Is there any way I can force them to tell me why?

Is it that big a deal?

15 minutes work filling out an online form.

[Jessica@WhiteFieldTax]

Is it that big a deal?

15 minutes work filling out an online form.

4+ years ago I was self employed so I had to fill in a tax return.

I then stopped being self employed and became a student with no significant income, and informed HMRC. They said I would have to do 1 more return, which I did.

They then demanded another return, but promised it was the last, so I did that too.

and again...

and again...

Every time, when I ask why I have to fill in a return they say "We have the right to ask anyone to do a tax return for any reason, and we require you to do one and can't tell you why. We can't tell you if you will need to do one again next year.".


How do I get out of this!? Is there any appeals process? Is there any way I can force them to tell me why?

Q - are you ringing them or writing to them? A letter is likely to get a more considered response.

If you are writing, try putting at the top of the letter "Please treat this as a complaint" in big enters and highlighting the phrase. The response should then come from complaints team who are better calibre and more likely to achieve something. And if the reply to the complaint isn't clearly from complaints, write back and complain about complaints handling - necessary on a depressingly regular basis - and then it should end up in complaints.

Sometimes it's hard to see the "servant" in civil servant, isn't it?

[TykeMerc]

Q - are you ringing them or writing to them? A letter is likely to get a more considered response.

If you are writing, try putting at the top of the letter "Please treat this as a complaint" in big enters and highlighting the phrase. The response should then come from complaints team who are better calibre and more likely to achieve something. And if the reply to the complaint isn't clearly from complaints, write back and complain about complaints handling - necessary on a depressingly regular basis - and then it should end up in complaints.

Sometimes it's hard to see the "servant" in civil servant, isn't it?

All too true, I've had to do just this sort of thing for the last few years with Corp tax (they threaten me for non payment when I have evidence of payment, 3 years running with the same nonsense) they really are very poor at their jobs these days.