Another Consulting Overseas Victim?

[doctorfeelgood]

Just stumbled upon this forum. I'm another one who paid a lot of money to HMRC hoping I may some day see it again.

Has anything at all happened in the courts? I see no updates on the Sandfield site for years....

I have just come across this forum site and spent the last hour or so reading all the posts. I am totally shocked at what all of you have suffered, the stress must be awful. But doing a bit of checking myself i can not understand how Actinium has got this wrong. They are not a two bit company so surely they would of done their research. What is it that the HMRC are saying you have all done wrong? The reason i am asking is because my husband is talking about using companies like this to save on his tax but after reading this i am not too sure its a good thing?

[Ruskin]

Consulting Overseas - Sandfield - Actinum

Hi All,

Thanks for all your input. I was (of course) also employed by Sandfield from 2002 - 2004 and by Actinum in 2005.

So needless to say I've received all the communication you all have and I decided not to settle but I've had no information since. One thing I can say is that I'll go after the directors and compan(ies) should the HMRC come back to me with any further demands. It is fully possible to sue the directors, even if the compan(ies) in question has gone into liquidation.

The latest installment is a letter from HMRC dated 4 October 2010 using the heavy handed language we've all gotten so used to. This is, I believe with regards to the company that was setup in my name in 2005 for the Actinium setup and it is asking for $400 for the PAYE/NIC that is now overdue.

Anyone else got one of these little lovlies?

[adiemus]

my thoughts

The reason I feel annoyed about this whole situation with Sandfield is that I paid £40,000 as I believed that Sandfield would be actively involved in sorting this out, as they had taken tax council etc. I feel that I have been a bit naive in this to be honest, in believing what I have been told.
You know what came in to my mind.. lets just assume that the Sandfield scheme is totally kosher, just HMRC playing awkward bugg... i mean individuals.
I thought to myself, I wonder if anyone of us contractors had died in the meantime.. is that a policy that HMRC are following.. just keep quite and hope nothing happens?

I dont know about you guys who are out there working like me as project managers, but i see it very simply. If I was working on a project, I would be actively working to resolve an issue.
All I see is that Sandfield and Chilterns have not said anything recently..
on the sandfield site I now get this error
Internal Server Error
The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.
Please contact the server administrator, webmaster@consultingoverseas.com and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

More information about this error may be available in the server error log.
I hear of people who did not pay up. And yes, HMRC play the heavy hand, but I have not heard of anyone being taken to court over this.

Sorry guys.. had my moan.. just wish that the fairy Godmother would wave her wand and say.. yes.. what Sandfield said to you is totally true.. and all your money will be paid back...or am I only dreaming??

[HotFrog]

Status Update?

I have just discovered this forum and am in the same position as many out here. I handed over a lot of $$$ to HMRC in 2005 on the understanding that I would get a refund if the scheme was ever successfully defended. As I understand it, no case has ever been taken to a tribunal and Chiltern exited stage left years ago. So what is going on? I would still be willing to pursue <mod snip> the Directors of Consulting Overseas and Sandfield Systems Ltd for fraud. If anyone has any news, or would like to comment, please post, or contact me privately by PM.

[BrunoRuby]

Sandfield

I am a member of yet another group of former Sandfield contractors to get mixed up in this mess. We all got our letter back in 2004 and have, like so many others, been getting nowhere with regards to getting some closure on the matter. I have read with interest all the posts on the forum and can echo the thoughts and experiences of most. Our group still keep in contact and are now sharing our thoughts as regards a way forward following our annual correspondence with our contact at Sandfield, Wayne Barnett, which says exactly the same each year.....nothing!!!

I am interested to know if anyone actually commenced an independent legal approach and would welcome any information that I could pass on to my ex colleagues. It was mentioned that legal proceedings are time critical can anyone please elucidate.

I am happy to share any info I have which may be of common use but I think we are all in pretty much the same place.

I have hypothesized for some time that a deal between Consulting Overseas/Paul Bishop and HMRC may well have been brokered and that Chilterns are no longer on the case but have no evidence. I was however interested to see that it is thought that Sandfield and CO are both in administration, what evidence is there to support this?

Below is copy of an email recieved from Wayne FYI..

Amazing how time flies !
Last summer HMRC was chasing up non settlors and endeavouring to persuade them to settle on the basis that HMRc considered that they had an overwhelming case and would be writing to everyone shortly. It would seem that someone either telephoned or wrote to HMRC suggesting that inaction by HM RC could damage their case as a letter came out at the end of September saying that HMRC would shortly be writing to everyone setting out the Revenue's position.
Nothing has been heard since then as far as I am aware.
Once again we are advised that inaction is possibly the best action as HMRC's position deteriorates all the time they potentially mismanage the case.
It may be that we need to await the current Inspector moving to another department and someone new coming in ,who has no brownie points to lose on ceding the case, taking action to close the file.
Kind regards
Wayne

Preliminary discussions held with our group today suggested a simple phone call to the Special Investigations Unit at HMRC might be a start, has anybody else tried to contact them this way?

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts/ideas.

Compoota, I tried to PM you, but it doesn't seem you are set up for this. Can you send me a PM on where this is at, I would be interested in joining any group.

[barley11]

Update

Hi

Im not sure that reply from Wayne is entirely accurate.

There is (as quoted by Kerry Rowe) one case in the Tribunal process with a hearing in June of this year.

A few other open appeal cases are in the process of being taken forward

[BrunoRuby]

Tribunal

Hi

Im not sure that reply from Wayne is entirely accurate.

There is (as quoted by Kerry Rowe) one case in the Tribunal process with a hearing in June of this year.

A few other open appeal cases are in the process of being taken forward

Hi - Do you have any further info about this? It would be good to know what basis HMRC are using to say that tax is due, and what the defence is.

Do you know if there is a way to find out when the hearing is due to be held?

[BrunoRuby]

Sorry Lewis, I posted this yesterday, but it didn't appear on the website.

If the currency depreciates by more than 80% both Sandfield and Credex make a profit, but the total is still £1000.

What I was trying to get across was that Sandfield Systems Ltd were a UK company that dealt with all our contracts and liaised with recruitment agencies in the uk. These agencies would not have dealt with an Isle of Man company, therefore if it was a Fraud as it now seems, then Sandfield Systems Ltd in the UK would be liable for the PAYE not us.

Ibs - I would like to send you a Private Message to discuss where you are at with this, but you are not registered to receive them. Can you please send me a PM, or register?

[cojak]

Ibs - I would like to send you a Private Message to discuss where you are at with this, but you are not registered to receive them. Can you please send me a PM, or register?

That post was from 2009 BrunoRuby, and ibs only posted 4 times.

I suspect he's completely forgotton about this forum.

[blairathome]

The story goes on

They used to have office on Middlesex Street opposite Liverpool Street I went there once as well but didnt sign up. I did have a friend though who had used them but he got a letter from the IR years ago about the scheme, apperently it went to court and then due to some **** up by the tax inspector they got off on a technicality. I havent been in touch with my friend for a while but will drop him a text and see what he can tell me.

Hi there, this story is continuing and I've just had my review upheld, the tribunal is next. I've tried searching for your mates court records, which are in the public domain, but its like a needle in a haystack without better search parameters. His decision might be a great deal of help. If you wouldn't mind can you pass on the approx date or if you send me an email to <mod snip> with other details. Thanks.

Mod: I'll ask Admin to give you PM rights