Incentive Payment for Online Filing

[Lucifer Box]

Thanks, chaps. I shall pursue with renewed vigour.

[xoggoth]

Sure, got it for two companies. If you use the online PAYE forms submission there's a box you put it in.

[philip@wellwoodhoyle]

If our clients are likely to owe more than £250 in PAYE/NIC in the current tax year, we offset the incentive payment.

If not, we write to the HMRC office and request a cheque - we sent off our request letters in August and all cheques have now been received without hassle.

Don't telephone them, you'll get a call centre moron who hasn't a clue. Write to the PAYE tax district, NOT the Collector of Taxes at Bradford or Cumbernauld (they're months behind dealing with paperwork), and ask for a cheque.

[gravesendboy]

Incentive Payment

My accountant does this for me and does'nt seem to have any problems in getting the money back
In fact he asks them to offset it against the first quarters paye and I ahve never had any problems
He does'nt charge me an admin fee for getting the incentive payment which makes it even better!!

[Ardesco]

I got a cheque for £250 last year and am expecting the same this year. My accountant does all the paperwork so I don't know exactly what you need to tell them/give them to get the cjeque in the first place.

[Darren@UptonAccountants]

Tax Back

They sent out letters to a select few a month or two back, others they sent an email through the online system confirming that it was ok to deduct the £250 plus approx one quid interest from the next payment....or you could request it back if there were no PAYE payments to be made.

[Gonzo]

That's interesting, Gonzo. I had a chat with my accountant who said he tried to get a cheque for another client but that after several months of trying he just gave up.

I think I shall ask him to have a go on my behalf.

Just checked back through the timeline:

1. Wrote to HMRC on 10th July asking to receive the payment by cheque.

2. Heard nothing back so asked accountant to chase on 30th August.

3. Received cheque last week.

However, in my case the return for 2005/2006 tax year was zero, and the accountant advised after getting involved that HMRC were waiting for guidance from the Government about whether the incentive should be made in the case of a zero return.

[Lucifer Box]

That's interesting, Gonzo. I had a chat with my accountant who said he tried to get a cheque for another client but that after several months of trying he just gave up.

I think I shall ask him to have a go on my behalf.

[Gonzo]

Thanks, DaveB. Looks like the guy I spoke to yesterday might have been correct then. The amount is just credited to your account and can net your PAYE/NI payments off against it (by not making them).

Curses, and there was me hoping for a cheque.

If the account is in credit then you can ask for a repayment by cheque.

I have done this - and held the cheque in my hand (after some considerable delay).

[VectraMan]

Yep (SJD again). Last three months, no tax to pay.

[Lucifer Box]

Thanks, DaveB. Looks like the guy I spoke to yesterday might have been correct then. The amount is just credited to your account and can net your PAYE/NI payments off against it (by not making them).

Curses, and there was me hoping for a cheque.

[DaveB]

Yep, I done it and claimed the dosh. Well the guys at SJD did it for me anyway. The £250 comes as a credit against PAYE and NI payements so I just sent in Nil payement slips untill the credit was used up.

[Lucifer Box]

Has anybody managed to get the £250 incentive for on-line return filing back from HMCR yet? I spoke to one clueless Hector last week who made out he'd never heard of the scheme and another one yesterday who told me that it might be credited to your PAYE account and netted off against PAYE transactions but he "wasn't sure". Wouldn't be too keen on the latter as it would take a couple of years to extract the money that way!