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This is good to know, although I've never been "irritated" by being able to charge easy fees.....
Which is exactly the sort of slimy ethical practice that encourages the perception that accountants are charging money for old rope - in this case old rope to climb a wall that can just be walked around.
Provided you call the helpline after completing the online checklist, HMRC will not only cancel current tax returns, but, provided the circumstances are unchanged, will immediately cancel the previous year's disputed directors' tax returns and outstanding late filing penalties.
It was worth persevering.
I don't think so it's worth taking the risk and fighting back with HMRC.
They don't really agree not to send in a tax return, just spoke to them over the phone.
Personally would not take the risk.
I had a similar experience; the person I was speaking to insisted that my client had to submit a return until I directed them to the online tool. They finally agreed that there was no need to submit one.
Perhaps they could now stop their system insisting that if you are a director then you must be in receipt of pay (excluding not for profits, that is). Many small companies on hard times do not pay their directors because there are no funds - and it is outside Minimum Wage rules because of the company's ownership, etc.
I thought the paperwork also acted as a formal declaration by a director of earnings. When are they going to change the law also for people earning > 100k ?
I agree with Tim Vane.
Using what was HMRC errant guidance merely as a tool to provide a chargeable meaningless service (SA submission) is neither in the interests of the client or of any decent accountant.
Greed is not good, and rightly, fairness and decency are implicit in each and every professional institutes codes of conduct. Member or not, one should follow pricinples.
Too late for us unfortunately. we had repeatedly requested that HMRC withdraw a notice to file as they constantly referred to TMA 1970 S7. I repeatedly pointed out to them that S7 made no mention of directors. HMRC owed my client £1.47 and all her income was PAYE. only when it went to Tribunal did HMRC mention S8. the tribunal also incorrectly noted our insistence that no return was due under S7, and ignored the fact that this was HMRC's position right up until tribunal and that was why we disagreed with them. numerous calls and even in writing S7 from HMRC. £300 penalty for client. well done to the jobsworths at HMRC. This guidance should have been changed years ago and it's about time our politicians stopped knighting the b@st@rds that run HMRC and appoint people that can at least make HMRC fit for purpose.