A CIS subbie received a letter in respect of 2021 return asking him to confirm his ID with various documents and complete a simple questionaire about how the figures were compiled. He sent them all off. Subsequently it appears that HMRC lost this info and suspended his SA account as they couldnt verify his ID. This was over a year ago now. We subsequently submitted copies on his behalf and asked for reinstatement of his account and repayment of the amount due. However both ourselves and our client have been sent from pillar to post. HMRC now admit they have the documents but no one seems to be dealing with it. So, client owed refund for 2021 and cannot submit 2022 and 2023 returns (no SA number). Both of these show repayments! We do not have many repayment claims, so have not seen many of these, but on speaking to another accountant with quite a lot of subbies as clients it appears to be a "thing" The question is how to get the clients refund and reinstatement of SA account.
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The worst thing about this is that when you eventually get it all sorted, after months' more correspondence and stewing, they will say sorry to your client and give him £30.
Have you tried, using his pre-existing UTR?.... cannot submit 2022 and 2023 returns (no SA number). ...
Good luck with the many, many months of chasing HMRC, resubmitting everything, sending many 64-8's and making complaints. It will test you, but with great patience it can be done and eventually a UTR will magically appear!
Get a letter of complaint in ASAP headed LETTER OF COMPLAINT and listing time line. I have a similar case unresolved after 2 years.
And cc it to your client's MP with a covering letter. Make sure that the letter to HMRC shows that you have copied in his/her MP.
I find that provokes a quicker reaction. Besides, if it looks a straightforward case of HMRC incompetence, the MP will willingly get involved so as to earn some brownie points.
How is he suffering deductions with no UTR then?
The contractor won't know that, will he?
He'll just use the old one and it'll disappear into a black hole.
The UTR would have to pass the verification process. I would call up the agent helpline and get a new one issued.
The UTR would have to pass the verification process.
It might have done. When it was still valid.
I had this also with a new client this year. Issued multiple letters to various departments from SA, Compliance, NI and eventually had a reply with the UTR reopened after 5 months
We have the exact same case going on atm, same tax years as yourself.
We sent a complaint along with information again in May, they responded in July with a letter saying the UTR would be reactivated in 60 days - still nothing changed
We have the exact same case going on atm, same tax years as yourself.
We sent a complaint along with information again in May, they responded in July with a letter saying the UTR would be reactivated in 60 days - still nothing changed.
At one stage they even sent a letter requesting the expenses for a P87 claim - the client is self employed
Almost word for word what I could have posted, and my experiences trying to resolve are the same as other correspondents
The core problem seems to be client's address, which the HMRC computer cannot cope with. It actually 'cancels' UTRs ! We changed his address to ours and applied for a new UTR - result, he got given his old one back.
I have similar issues with a client living in Spain who can never get their post within 30 days. Will have to phone HMRC with her the next time we are over there