How to deal directly with Revenue Inspector

:(

It used to be that is you asked to speak to a tech in the area you got through to someone remotely used to dealing with specialist stuff, and then you could ask to speak to their manager. But that doesn't seem to work any more either :(

Have you tried methodically knocking a wall with your head?

Whats the problem with these Tax Claims?

As you are finding it impossible to speak to a Tax Inspector perhaps you would like to explain just what the issues are that you are encountering and I will speak to my ' mole' in the Revenue (yes he is an Inspector) to see if we can sort anything out?

Sally

Thanks for your advice

Mike - I share your comments and have tried knocking a wall with my head, but just got a sore head!

Sally - Thanks, I set out breifly the main areas. If your 'mole' could help I would be very grateful.

I have submitted some simple S336 claims for tools purchased by employees privately for business purposes. These have been agreed and paid by HMRC, but took 12 months to complete due to junior staff misunderstanding the claim and delays in post being opened (apparently 6 weeks to acknowledge a letter is 'normal' for my local office). I am now preparing several hundred claims under the same criteria and want to reduce the time involved in processing and administrative burden on myself and HMRC (I am sure they do not want to open, file and tick back 5,000 invoices?!?). The claims are all for the same type of tools and are backed up by original invoices and statements showing paid as well as confirmation from their employers that tools are required for their employment.

Further HMRC have currently disallowed a toolbox (which the tools are stored in) as not 'in the performance of duties' which I wish to challenge. I have a detailed argument and criteria which I wish to discuss with someone at HMRC who can understand it.

Finally, these claims will be to different tax offices, and I hope there is someway HMRC can acknowledge the nature of the claim to avoid explaining it to each tax office individually.

My main issue has been that this is such a simple claim and could be discussed and explained with an Inspector (or similar) very quickly. But I have been restricted to either a) calling the enquiry line who are unable to help or b) writing a letter which takes 6 weeks to open, then several more to reply and the reply has often been very poor from junior staff which leads me to calling/writing again.

I am trying to help myself, and also HMRC who will waste a lot of time and resouce if they handle each claim in this way.

The mole responds

I have spoken to my mole.I explained your concerns.

His first question, and it would have been mine had I still been in the Revenue, was 'if these tools are necessary why isn't the employer paying for them'.

He says that if the telephone call you made to the call centre could not be answered it should have been escalated to a Revenue Executive and escalated ultimately to an Inspector.He was astounded that you got no joy from the escalation! (I think I would have tried ringing again-over 500 work in these call centres and if at first I don't suceed I try try again!).

He said that each claim will be dealt with individually and a bulk claim will not be accepted.

Each claim should give details of the amount claimed, with a copy of the employers confirmation that the tools are necessary.Receipts are not required.

The bad news is that current policy is to stockpile such claims as low priority and consequently you will experience delay.

Can I suggest that one 'work around' might be to telephone to ask for a figure of expenses to be included in the current coding.Each claim would require a separate call as the call would be 'timed out' if you try to do numerous cases in one call.

Good luck
Sally

Thanks for the help

Sally, thanks for your help, and so quickly. At least I have some answers, even if not the ones I wanted.

I agree with 'the moles' first comment, but that is the way of the industry. Employers in this industry do not supply tools, but employee cannot work without tools. Employees in this indursty are not highly paid (15K - 20K) and that is why I am trying to get them back tax which they are genuinely entitled.

I understand that HMRC need to deal with each claim seperatley, my intention would be to agree some guidelines or have a letter from an Inspector that validates the nature of the claim. I can see lots of correspondance as different juniotr staff pick up each claim cold and ask irrelevant questions. But at least I know that is my only option now.

I find it interesting that 'the mole' said receipts were not required, my expereince has been the opoosite and I will probably continue to send them to avoid the huge delays if they are then requested.

I like your idea of a workaround with tax coding, but would HMRC simply adjust coding on that basis?

Good luck, I think I need it!

Employer's Unit?

Warning in advance: I left three years ago and this might be out of date now...

Now I see what you are trying to achieve, you might be going at this from the wrong angle.

You wouldn't happen to act for the employer as well?

What you want to do is get the Employer's Unit (or whatever they are called now) that deals with the employer to agree a coding adjustment for a certain type of employee with that employer. Each office has (or used to have at least) a list of agreed coding adjustments for certain types of employee with certain employers for each year. The admin staff ... (I was one of them back then...) would automatically accept a claim as long it was accompanied by the agreed information, and the Employer's Unit would revisit the agreed figures from time to time.

These were most common for large employers, say an ambulance service that said it's paramedics needed a bit more than the normal FRE for their laundry, but smaller and private employers certainly got a look in too.

I presume you have checked that there isn't already an industry-wide agreement on a FRE for whatever your clients do, or that it is insufficient?

Thanks Mike

Thanks for the ideas Mike, I like when people think around a problem.

I do not act for the employer, I have come across this industry as my brother works in it and his claim was the first I got agreed. I just realised that all his colleagues, past and present, should also get back what they are entitled to.

There is a flat-rate expense allowance available, but it is only £85 a year which is far lower than they can claim compared to actual expenditure which is ranges from £250 to £1,000 a year.

I thought of trying to get a locally agreed flat rate deduction for a higher allowance with the tax office but as it only applies to a local tax office, and each employee's claim varies so much I think a claim for actual expenditure is the only way.

Short tax returns

Eoin,
You could of course preempt the whole situation by submitting claims in short self-assessment tax returns and getting repayments out to the employees. A bit of work is involved (c. 15-20 minutes each on-line?) but arguably a lot less than spending fruitless hours on the phone to unresponsive and heedless call centres. At the same time, request coding amendments for them all. As the workers are all with the same employer, they should all be dealt with by the same tax office, so if the tax returns are challenged, you could deal with them all as one, with one tax officer only. And you will have your brother's successful claim as a precedent!

It will cost the workers a bit of course, as you will have to charge some sort of a fee (flat rate?). However, assuming you win, which you should (I view the Revenue's rhetorical question about 'necessary expense' as a non-starter - it is the employer's commercial decision), you can then claim for all in-date years! Get the repayments paid to you, to set off your fees and you have done them and yourself a good turn. The net repayments will compensate for the temporary lack of amended codings, if they take as long as the Revenue say they do.

In the end, you will have the Revenue wishing the had responded more promptly in the first place and you will have established a little industry for yourself!