Bedouin/Restone

[webberg]

unfortunately being unemployed at present i cant afford the fee to join, or the ongoing monthly fee, i guess i`m up the proverbial creek, guess i`ll just wait on a letter i requested from hmrc explaining why they want details from me, i` dont have old p60`s or other info from my time at bedouin, if ever i had a query over earnings, for example giving details for my sons student loan application, i usually just rang the tax office asking what i earned?

PM me

[teessidetone]

hmrc assessment forms

unfortunately being unemployed at present i cant afford the fee to join, or the ongoing monthly fee, i guess i`m up the proverbial creek, guess i`ll just wait on a letter i requested from hmrc explaining why they want details from me, i` dont have old p60`s or other info from my time at bedouin, if ever i had a query over earnings, for example giving details for my sons student loan application, i usually just rang the tax office asking what i earned?

[Fred Bloggs]

i worked through bedouin, well, i was paid thru them or redstone between sept 2013 sept 2014
and have just received letters from hmrc asking for self assessments from april 2013 through to this year, bedouin was the first time i had ever worked thru or heard of an umbrella company, fellow workers gave me names of umbrella companies to use, i just chose them at random, never used one since
when i phoned hmrc yesterday, all the info i got told was i was given a loan where tax hadnt been paid, ive never been a big earner and spent many times unemployed, so now i am unsure what to do, was i being misled by bedouin, they told me they were fully hmrc compliant, will i have to fork out a fortune (that i havent got) in back taxes? anywhere i can turn to?

Join Big Group. Pretty much your best if not only option, IMO.

[Darren at Fox-Bartfield]

HMRC

I'd recommend you seek the services from one of the contractor accountant guys before speaking to HMRC, first meetings tend to be free and if you take along all the paperwork from the years in question, should be able to give you some indication.

Still seeing this type of scheme surfacing, some people must still be supplying the demand otherwise these things wouldn't exist.

[teessidetone]

hmrc assessment forms

i worked through bedouin, well, i was paid thru them or redstone between sept 2013 sept 2014
and have just received letters from hmrc asking for self assessments from april 2013 through to this year, bedouin was the first time i had ever worked thru or heard of an umbrella company, fellow workers gave me names of umbrella companies to use, i just chose them at random, never used one since
when i phoned hmrc yesterday, all the info i got told was i was given a loan where tax hadnt been paid, ive never been a big earner and spent many times unemployed, so now i am unsure what to do, was i being misled by bedouin, they told me they were fully hmrc compliant, will i have to fork out a fortune (that i havent got) in back taxes? anywhere i can turn to?

[webberg]

You should get advice from a non biased and experienced adviser.

An initial conversation would likely be free but for that you would get a sensible opinion as to your options.

In short those options are:

1. Accept what HMRC is saying and pay the tax, interest and possibly penalties they may demand.

2. Join a group that plans to litigate and dig in for the long haul and the potential cost.

3. Join a group that is discussing issues with HMRC with a view to finding a negotiated position.

Only number 1 has a certain outcome.

The other options have no guarantee of achieving a result different from number 1.

Get informed. Making a 100% decision on 25% of the facts makes no sense.

[chubacabra]

Nice screen name.

Big Group has vastly larger plans than "delaying the inevitable". There is a lot going on which cannot be discussed here. You are very welcome in BG.
For the rest, I'd say "follow your instincts".
At the moment, you are still under "shock and awe", exactly how HMRC want you. Realize that there is absolutely no reason to "roll over" at this stage of the game.Do not make rushed and irrational decisions that will take not only a financial but a psychological toll as well.

^^ Couldn't sum it up any better than this.

HMRC's modus operandi is divide and conquer. Their entire campaign to date has been to isolate people and make them feel that it's futile to resist, with discovery assessments and APN's.

Funny how this differs from their treatment of large corporations (cough... Google) and the sweetheart deals they no longer do any more o__0

Wonder when Gidiot or one of his cronies will be getting their non exec board position there?

I'm a member of BG also, and as DotasScandal says there is way more going on with our campaign than just putting it off. Maybe I'm biased but IMHO this represents the best option around.

Will we be successful, who knows? All I know is that it's not clear cut at all and nothing has been proven one way or another.

HMRC are as much to blame for this fiasco as anybody. They took their sweet time deciding this was an issue (practically 4 years) - not to mention the fact that the scheme providers have operated, AND STILL operate with impunity.

Let's be reasonable Hector eh?

[LetsGoSailing]

The shiny suit (name of Jon Bannister) sold me the story

He also 'got' me ... Now claims to be a tax specialist in his LimitedCompanyContractor company.

[jonnieboy]

Will BG ultimately be successful... no-one knows.

Is it worth joining BG just so you don't feel so vulnerable and isolated... absolutely!

[DotasScandal]

Nice screen name.

Big Group has vastly larger plans than "delaying the inevitable". There is a lot going on which cannot be discussed here. You are very welcome in BG.
For the rest, I'd say "follow your instincts".
At the moment, you are still under "shock and awe", exactly how HMRC want you. Realize that there is absolutely no reason to "roll over" at this stage of the game.Do not make rushed and irrational decisions that will take not only a financial but a psychological toll as well.

[MMMmmm what to do next]

(This was my response to a post in a previous thread, I'm moving it to a new thread) I had written........

OK, my first post in response to this thread......so be kind to me.

I’ve read through lots of the information here from people caught up in schemes now being investigated by HMRC – this is my story, to which I need to make a decision on which way to go, rollover or fight. I’m not an accountant, or tax specialist just one of the many gullible contractors who now needs to fix things and decide my next move.

I operated as LTD until April 2012 – a fellow contractor in the same office suggested I give Bedouin a call – I did just that and had a chat with a chap who suggest he come to my place of work (FTSE top 10 company) to demonstrate the ‘benefits’ of the scheme
The shiny suit (name of Jon Bannister) sold me the story – legal, HMRC compliant, endorsed by XXX etc etc so I signed up in good faith (the mistake)
I stayed with Bedouin/Redstone from April 2012 until March 2015 – they wanted to change names again – this made me nervous so I moved to Castlemaine. I stayed with Castlemaine until Dec 2015 – I am now LTD again.

August 2015 I receive a letter form HMRC saying: “About the enclosed self-assessment tax return for year ending 5 April 2012”

“We have been in consultation with our colleagues at HMRC Counter Avoidance. We believe that you may have participated in a tax avoidance scheme. You may have received money which was described as a loan or advance on which you have not paid tax. You should consider including these amounts in the return as your income. If you choose not to declare this as income then enter details of the amounts received in the relevant which space box”

This is the point at which I realised things were going to get sticky. I did what many of you have done, I called Bedouin/Redstone and got the bog standard response “we advise you not to declare this as income blah blah…”
Luckily for me I was not officially employed with Bedouin during tax year 2011-12 so my response back to HMRC was clear, there was nothing to declare.

January 2016 – I receive 2 self-assessment requests: (both forms are different not sure if this has any meaning?)

1 - Notice re complete a tax return 2013-2014 from HMRC pay as you go self-assessment BX9 1AS
2 - Notice to complete a tax return 2014-2015 from HMRC Officer in charge BX9 1AS

I have until the end of this month to decide what to do. I have not received any demands, nor an APN – I understand from reading the various threads that Bedouin are non Dotas which means APN’s may not apply. I know I will get no support from Bedouin/Redstone any maybe even Castlemaine (I have just received a note from them staying they will provide an accountant to help with the tax return for the period I operated with them) I still don’t expect this to help – I know this is on me to fix. I have 2 options. Fight or Rollover. I am not well enough informed to know what to do just yet.

To rollover (with reluctance)
1 - I get this over with quickly I hopefully avoid any possible penalties and further interest charges and I get to put this in the past – this situation is not psychological good for me.
2 - Is there anyone out there that has done just this? What was your experience?
3 - Could it be HMRC are just fishing or is this just the start of an investigation, do they already know the answer....?

To fight (which is my instinct)
1 - I have no idea what my rights are and what to do next – I have until the end of this month to submit my SA for the 2 periods being asked. Questions I have are:
2 - What do I put on the forms?
3 - I know someone who is part of BIG Group – this seems to have ‘purchased’ more time from HMRC – is this just delaying the inevitable or do groups such as BIG work?
4 - Do we as contractors in these schemes have a fighting chance as so much of this seems to be in the hands of the courts for cases that are yet to be held and the outcomes understood
5 - If I fight and the courts rule against us surely this would mean HMRC then can grab what they believe to be ‘tax’ plus penalties, plus interest - I assume this would be a number much larger than if I rolled over now?

My position is I need to think carefully but make a decision soon – It will more than likely mean the sale of my home regardless

Any advice from all you good people in similar situations?