UK Income Tax

[OFSO]

One wonders what to do. Like a good citizen I declared my income for 2019-2020 in April to HMRC. All summer the progress curser has crawled or stopped - mostly stopped - across the display on my personal tax page. Two weeks ago it reached the end, 'completed'. I expected an e-mail (my registered preference) or a letter to my UK address. I have had neither. Today I checked my page and the progress bar has disappeared, no messages recorded, and on another page I'm informed I have no income tax to pay. Obviously their mistake, obviously I should write and tell them, but the alternative is very tempting....

[Ex-Ascot]

My dear chap, the idiots are all probably working from home feet up, beer in hand. Do the same.

[TheGreenGoblin]

Lucky you. I submitted my return electronically last week and the system worked perfectly and I am feeling poorer already.

[Pontius Navigator]

OTOH I submitted Mrs PN's return back in May and got the refund almost by return.

[Undried Plum]

I should write and tell them, but the alternative is very tempting....

Do not be tempted. The bastards will use it against you and they will win.

[1DC]

Bugger! I am now reminded that I have got to do my income tax..

[CharlieOneSix]

Rather than fight my way through the HMRC online preparation system I use HMRC approved Taxcalc and have done for many years. Some will object to paying for software in order to give HMRC money but I think it's probably the best £32 I spend each year and it does up to 6 individual returns https://www.taxcalc.com/individual. We both file online direct from Taxcalc and HMRC have never queried a return.

[1DC]

I use ftax and find them very good just under £20.

[emjay]

For those ex-pats that still have a requirement to file UK Self Assessment..... you just missed it ! The online system has never allowed non-residents to file electronically and the work around of filling in downloaded .pdf forms has an earlier deadline of received by HMRC before the end of this month.

Note due to squirrel-like cunning, the official HMRC address cannot be used by a courier company to save in desperation those few days of transit time:
HMRC
Self Assessment
BX9 1AS

[llondel]

I finally convinced HMRC to stop bugging us a couple of years ago. They'd write and demand a tax return. Sometimes I'd write back before the deadline and point out that I don't live there any more but if they really wanted, I could fill in one with a load of zeroes, and they'd write back and tell me not to bother and they'd amend their records. Occasionally I'd ignore it until the penalty notice came in and then appeal it on the grounds that they issued the original demand in error, and win that. They excelled themselves one year for then trying to extract money for the unpaid fine between the end of Jan and the date they upheld the appeal so we got an extra go round the loop that year. Eventually they managed to stop sending stuff. On the other hand, I have to deal with the IRS now. When people hear my accent around 4th July they ask about the events of 1776 and I just note that for a nation founded over a dispute about taxes, I reckon Britain got the last laugh when you look at the IRS (and all the other smaller bits of government that jealously guard their tax revenue and attempt to extract it from anyone they can).

[emjay]

Indeed - after jumping through similar hoops for a while, I finally received a "Do not send more forms" memo. Unfortunately, due to delays in receiving that mail (Royal Mail Second Class maps into an tedious boat ride of 5-6 weeks), I'd already sent off the forms for the previous tax year.

I was then fined for sending in forms when none were requested ! Much "Dear Sir or Madam" later, the "mandatory" fine was reversed (they had taken it out of what they owed me for the previous year) and a few pence was added for the interest whilst incorrectly holding the dosh.
I would have preferred a grovelling apology, but....

The happy state of no filing requirement abruptly came to an end when an small, immovable pension pot was triggered. UK based so an annual P45 and HMRC reporting requirement. Sigh

[OFSO]

Mrs OFSO says treat HMRC like a sleeping dog.

[llondel]

Mrs OFSO says treat HMRC like a sleeping dog.

I used to have a few allowances I could have claimed for, probably worth under £50 in my pocket. I chose not to bother because it was worth that much to me not to have to fill in paperwork and otherwise deal with them because I was on simple PAYE at the time. When they started asking for tax returns I started claiming the allowances.

[OFSO]

I've just dropped HMRC a line pointing out that in this time of furloughed postal workers my preferred form of communication is e-mail or failing that, messages to my Page on their site. If this is ignored, well, I've done my bit.

[OFSO]

HMRC webpage shows my letter r/x'd Nov 10th. Due to be 'processed' by Dec 02. We shall see....

[Ex-Ascot]

Why as ex-pats should we pay tax in the UK? We pay council tax in Greece because we have a house there. There is no tax here it is all essentially VAT. Why the UK though. What have the Romans ever done for us? I used to object to council tax in the UK all we got out of it was our bin emptied. You could never get a rozzer if you needed one, nearest fire station was 30 mins away, I didn't use the education system and I was banned from the library.

[OFSO]

UK income tax on moderate income is half Spanish income tax. There are many forms of investment which are taxed in France, Spain, Germany etc which are free of tax in UK. I'm now living in the UK for over 180 days each year, Covid permitting. When Spanish villa sold, if ever, 365 days. I will miss the superb private medical treatment we get in Spain, though, but we pay through the nose for it, premiums well over £200 a month to get 90% reimbursement.

Only European country with a more favourable initial tax regime is Portugal, but too late in my life to move there.

[Ex-Ascot]

OFSO we pay £450 a month and this doesn't include doctor day case or dentist. Just hospital.

[ian16th]

We currently pay about £600/month with lots of extra's and copayments to add on.

[OFSO]

Looks like I should not complain. My premium includes long term care insurance at €6 a month, each. Six euros.