HMRC Late with statements

HMRC Late with statements

Didn't find your answer?

The second payment on account is due at the end of this month.  In the main, HMRC will have know what the amounts were since the end of January, yet they have waited until very late this year to send out the statements.  I have had several calls from clients this week saying they have not yet had a demand.  Yes, they all know how much they owe and they could probably pay on line, but if HMRC are going to bother sending out a statement with a payslip attached, they should at least make sure it arrives in plenty of time.

Looking at the client accounts on line, I can see that HMRC have "issued" a large number of statements at the beginning of this month.  In the real world, this would be plenty of time, but we all know that in HMRC's world, post takes three weeks to leave their offices (on a good day), so the beginning of July is too late.

the cynical side of me would think they are hoping to charge lots of interest on late payments..

Replies (8)

Please login or register to join the discussion.

avatar
By vince8
19th Jul 2011 16:47

No reason for delays

Some of my clients had them much earlier than others. My own personal one is dated 29 June and arrived the end of last week, pathetic system of postage well documented on here.

Thanks (0)
avatar
By taxhound
19th Jul 2011 18:13

I have just had the following from the Tax Faculty

HMRC has told us that that there has been a delay in sending out some of the mid-year self assessment statements to taxpayers. As these may be needed for the 31 July 2011 payments, practitioners may wish to contact their clients to see if they have their statements.

 

In the absence of a statement with a payslip, you can download form SA361 from the HMRC website. This facility will be available until 15 August. Alternatively, payments can be made electronically or by telephone– the Paying HMRC page on the HMRC website has full details about payment methods.

 

Pxxx up and brewery spring to mind.

 

One rule for them and another for us.

Thanks (0)
avatar
By Vaughan Blake
19th Jul 2011 18:20

Vaughan's Rule of Thumb

Not sure if it's a conspiracy or a [***] up?..... then it's a [***] up!

The lack of payslips is a constant annoyance, especially when HMRC changed banks and rendered older stock obsolete.  I know it is self-assessment and the taxpayers know what to pay and when but timely payslips/statements would be nice.

When SA first came out I suggested to a senior HMRC person that they didn't need tax returns at all.  All they needed to do was send a stock of payslips to taxpayers and leave it to them to make the payments as and when they thought they should.  The random investigations would then ask for a return/accounts/workings etc.  Now that would be true "self-assessment".  HMRC person looked blank and moved away as I recall.

 

Thanks (0)
avatar
By Vaughan Blake
19th Jul 2011 19:36

I don't beleeeive it!

Post and delivery times are a constant source of amazement to me.

The NASA mission to Pluto got as far as the moon in just over 8 hours!  The Apollos took a massive three and a bit days for the journey.

I ordered a new watchstrap from Malaysia late on a Tuesday night.  On Friday morning at 8.30am it was delivered.

Ford quoted two weeks for a part to come from their parts department somewhere in the UK.  I reckon that you could travel from any location in the UK to my town by pogo stick in a fortnight.

HMRC post takes three weeks to arrive from the tax office 10 miles away and so must go via where exactly, Neptune?  Or travels by what means?  If 10 miles = 52800 feet.  Three weeks is 30240 minutes.  That means that it travels at 1 foot every 34.36 seconds whereas a garden snail will travel 1.3 feet in the same time.  Thus if my maths is correct using snails will cut delivery times from 21 days to 16 days.  Worth a though eh?

Thanks (0)
x
By rockallj
19th Jul 2011 21:07

Vaughan - it would be quicker to walk to hmrc office, take the info to the printers, print it yourself and earn the money to pay the demand. TNT post has a lot to answer for!

Yes it is on the Tax Faculty website http://www.ion.icaew.com/TaxFaculty/22554

Thanks (0)
Stepurhan
By stepurhan
20th Jul 2011 09:38

Don't try to copyright, Vaughan

The principle you espouse is already well-known as Hanlon's Razor.

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

Let's face it, we've all seen enough stupid things done by HMRC to justify that as the most likely explanation.

Thanks (0)
Rebecca Benneyworth profile image
By Rebecca Benneyworth
22nd Jul 2011 18:01

News just in!

HMRC has sent me news to pass on to you. Here's their statement.

"Due to a higher than anticipated number of SA statements to be issued this year we will not be able to issue paper self assessment tax statements to all customers during the normal July period for issue. The majority will have been sent on time. "
"No-one needs to worry about this and we will be sending out the statements to remaining customers soon. People will have 30 days from receipt of the statement to pay. As long as they do that, no interest will follow.
On line customers will be able to check what's due over the internet and pay via the internet too."

"We are sorry if anyone experiences any inconvenience and we will let you have an update by the end of next week."
 

Thanks (0)
avatar
By taxhound
22nd Jul 2011 18:52

Ha de ha de ha

So when you appeal against an interest charge, I can hear them saying "but the statement was issued on 3 July so we will only charge interest from 2 August" and when you try to explain that although it says 3 July on the statement, it didn't arrive until 10 August because of their pathetic postal system, they won't believe you and we will spend weeks arguing the point.  Not impressed.

And WHY are there "more than expected"?  They must have known approximately how many there were going to be since January.

Sorry, rant over....

Totally unimpressed! 

Thanks (0)