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You should have printed out those pages and then sent them with a paper return. No FTT would uphold a late filing penalty in such circumstances. HMRC is behaving disgracefully here.
I can't find myself getting exercised about this. I've spent the last 35-odd years giving my bank account number and sort code to all and sundry, as my bank has helpfully printed those details on my cheques. So far nobody's managed to use them to empty my bank account or commit any other fraud against me. And it's quite helpful if HMRC can repay me direct into my bank account.
No bank account details a problem? really?
I always tick that box when I know no refund is due for myself or any of my clients.
There are bigger problems to have than to fret over that one.
Really? HMRC is in such total disarray, I'm surprised they even know their own bank account details.
If I had concerns I would use one of my many Building Society accounts that has a couple of quid in it.
On the page before the one you've shown a screenshot of, it asks if you want a repayment to you or someone else (eg your agent). If you'd simply ignored that question the page you couldn't get past wouldn't have appeared so you wouldn't have had to provide your bank details. Nothing sinister here! Apologies for double negatives.
You can't ignore the question, the system demands you either give your bank details or those of your agent. It is a real pain when completing the form on someone else's behalf as if you need to know their bank details, but if you know they aren't due a repayment you would have no reason to ask for this information.
You can't ignore the question, the system demands you either give your bank details or those of your agent. It is a real pain when completing the form on someone else's behalf as if you need to know their bank details, but if you know they aren't due a repayment you would have no reason to ask for this information.
No it doesn't. I have filed numerous Returns via HMRC website (maybe 200+ for 2017) and only entered bank details when a repayment arose, on about 20 occasions. It really does depend on your answer to the preceding question.
Birdman is absolutely right. If you do not complete the previous page, the page with bank details does not appear or does not have to be completed.
I have just checked the copy of my tax return prepared online on HMRC system and the page is blank.
Or use software which doesn't require input of either bank details or a box ticked when no repayment is due?
So are you basically saying that because of a really badly worded option to choose to be repaid by cheque you are forced to disclose your bank details? Come on. I bet you have told a white lie once or twice in your life.
Am I missing something or did HMRC not take powers a while back, or at least talk about it,to take money from recalcitrant taxpayers accounts. That is the purpose behind it I suspect. Ok if you think HMRC always gets it right but in my experience that is far from the truth. I am 100% with your writer. Give them an inch and they'll take your money.
A trustworthy organisation? Not in my book. And also very time costly to get your money back.
You're clearly wrong, if they were deliberately harvesting bank details for this purpose then the API given to third party developers would make bank information compulsory as well., which it doesn't, as has already been said in the comments.
This is just a badly coded form which in itself is something of a disgrace but not a reason to break out the tinfoil hats.
Am I missing something or did HMRC not take powers a while back, or at least talk about it,to take money from recalcitrant taxpayers accounts. That is the purpose behind it I suspect. Ok if you think HMRC always gets it right but in my experience that is far from the truth. I am 100% with your writer. Give them an inch and they'll take your money.
A trustworthy organisation? Not in my book. And also very time costly to get your money back.
There is a similar issue with CT returns where you have to say if the company is a member of an LLP or not.
A while back Keith Gordon noted that HMRC were asking questions relating to IR35 in the return which were strictly not required in law.
The problem that I find with bank details is when HMRC issue a repayment in error. If HMRC don't have your bank details they have to issue a bank giro, which can be returned unbanked to retain the original payment date. If you provide HMRC with the bank account details then the payment is made directly to your bank (which HMRC have told me saves them about 90% of the transaction cost), and you then have all sorts of fun returning the payment 'unbanked' to retain the original payment date.
This situation does not arise when HMRC's software is accessed by an authorised agent. The overpaid tax page is very similar but has an option button directing the repayment to be made to yourself or a nominee, either choice requiring the input of bank details. However, if the button is left at its 'Please select' default option then the tax return completion proceeds without the need for the offending bank details to be entered at all. To solve Wendy's situation simply requires HMRC to put an equivalent selection button into the window where a taxpayer is preparing a DIY return from their own tax account.
Chance are they will already know our bank account details anyway, this has certainly been the case when RBS volunteered info from my account of an interest payment I received in a previous tax year, the tax was deducted at source, now I’m battling with HMRC over late penalty fines which are now getting ridiculous. Not to mention repetitive phone calls to the revenue. Almost two years down the line and still at it!!. Grrrr.
I have complained about the bank detail page of HMRC's tax return software to HMRC. HMRC's software is inefficient and should only ask for the bank details after the calculation has revealed there is a refund. There are many other aspects that I don't like for example GOV.UK knows my name because it prints it at the top of the screen but when I start filling in the tax return it puts both my initials in the first name box and doesn't put my full name anywhere. Another example? It asks me if the income of myself or my partner is over £50,000 (for HICB purposes) but why not wait until the calculation is done when it will know exactly what my income is and only needs to ask about my partner if my income is less than £60,000 and my partners is more.