Churchill Knight & Boox clients being investigated as Managed Service Companies

[GregRickshaw]

Interesting. I contacted HMRC to find out why they were objecting and was given a contact called Mark in their Sheffield office. He just told me Boox was fully on board with the investigation and to contact him in 3 months for an update. I did this throughout all of 2019\2020 until he told me his team was being made redundant in Dec 2020 and no further progress in the investigation was made. I really hoped it would be closed down! I chased HMRC again back end of 2021 and found out in Jan this year the investigation was with their technical team and no further progress or updates. Then the letter arrived in March... It does sound like a complete shambles to me. Spotted some typos in the letter too so it all looks rushed.

The letters were an utter shambles, sections cut and pasted in (in totally different point size and fount) spelling mistakes and general amateur behaviour.

Sadly none of that helps us much as, it was just a case of get the letters out as fast as they could to meet their deadlines.

The whole pay up or appeal reminds me of a certain loans recall company and their tactics last year.

[nekro]

Up until today I had only received a determination that my limited company was an MSC, not a Reg 80. In the letter in stated that I would receive the Reg 80 'in the coming weeks' but I could ask them for 'what the potential liabilities for income tax and NIC would be' and 'however these are likely to be indictive and likely to change'.

I found this a little strange but have just checked with Boox and they have now received my Reg 80 which is dated 31st March. So, they must have been in a rush to make the calculations before their deadline. I was hoping they hadn't got round to doing this for my company and would be off the hook.

Seems like Boox must have been sat on my Reg 80 letter for a couple of weeks now without letting me know.

[rdw1970]

Up until today I had only received a determination that my limited company was an MSC, not a Reg 80. In the letter in stated that I would receive the Reg 80 'in the coming weeks' but I could ask them for 'what the potential liabilities for income tax and NIC would be' and 'however these are likely to be indictive and likely to change'.

I found this a little strange but have just checked with Boox and they have now received my Reg 80 which is dated 31st March. So, they must have been in a rush to make the calculations before their deadline. I was hoping they hadn't got round to doing this for my company and would be off the hook.

Seems like Boox must have been sat on my Reg 80 letter for a couple of weeks now without letting me know.

I received both the determination and Reg 80 letters in the same envelope both with the same dates.

[GregRickshaw]

Good idea. I have contacted David to join the survivor's group anyway. Wonder if he can draft a letter to send to our MPs.
Would like him to submit the conditional claim for tax already paid that year too. This is included in the joining fee providing he has all the required info to hand.

From my experience of getting your MP onside, you need to plea to them as a constituent make it very personal highlight how their constituents are being affected. It is better if your MP is a member of the Government too as then it becomes less of a party v party fight but still go to your MP for sure.

If they are a minister even better

[superdoodle]

Bumping link to Facebook mutual support group if any more contractors want to join:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2032887096882450

[nekro]

My options for representation are as follows:

Boox - generic appeal (free)
Qdos - generic appeal (free as covered by my Tax insurance)
David Kirk & Co - generic appeal (£250 + VAT)
WTT - personalised appeal (£425 + VAT)

Who are other people using? Is a personalised appeal worthwhile?

[Andy Hallett]

My options for representation are as follows:

Boox - generic appeal (free)
Qdos - generic appeal (free as covered by my Tax insurance)
David Kirk & Co - generic appeal (£250 + VAT)
WTT - personalised appeal (£425 + VAT)

Who are other people using? Is a personalised appeal worthwhile?

I guess it depends on the amount of money at stake. If it were a low amount, i'd go with QDOS. If it were high WTT.

[eek]

I guess it depends on the amount of money at stake. If it were a low amount, i'd go with QDOS. If it were high WTT.

I think it depends on what is in the QDOS letter.

Given that this is MCS legislation the aim has to be to point the blame elsewhere so any letter that covered the agencies / the BBC insisting on limited companies would be something I wanted covered.

If the QDOS letter covered that I would use it otherwise use WTT....

[GregRickshaw]

My options for representation are as follows:

Boox - generic appeal (free)
Qdos - generic appeal (free as covered by my Tax insurance)
David Kirk & Co - generic appeal (£250 + VAT)
WTT - personalised appeal (£425 + VAT)

Who are other people using? Is a personalised appeal worthwhile?

David is offering personalised too and the removal of conditional tax.

[PurelyBlue]

Given that this is MCS legislation the aim has to be to point the blame elsewhere so any letter that covered the agencies / the BBC insisting on limited companies would be something I wanted covered.

Does it help to point the blame elsewhere? The liability is still on the company, its director, and then the accountant. In fact it seems like it could make it worse as HMRC wants to suggest you weren't really in control of your company.