Kitchen Garden Forum

I have just spent over 3hrs trying to pay tax HMRC says I owe!

Rant part 1: I am not self employed so how come I have to pay for the mistakes of those supplying my income? I've only got 2 pensions & NHS is one & they are aware of the other which is diddy so obvs the amount they say owed does not come from that.
Rant part 2: You can no longer just pay what you owe to the HMRC Shipley from a bank transfer.
Rant part 3: How come HMRC gave me a government gateway code to use (I obvs kept the e-mail) & then won't accept it?
Rant part 4: Oh good, I circumnavigated the above code & suddenly I haven't got 2 extra forms of identification! I do not have a UK passport as I have residency status, in fact no passport as couldn't face a day sitting in the Australian embassy to re-new for a booze cruise to France, I do not have a payslip for 2022 as retired in 2021, I do not drive so no drivers license, I do not have any credit cards, BUT I have my full NI number which incidentally matches your details with the *** you put in & on the original card I kept safe for the last 36yrs! And you surprising sent me the letter to the same address I have had for decades so have you considered checking with the local council or adding this into the 2 forms of id?

Last option is I have to ring them tomorrow! I'm going to the plot first to calm down as kinda know I'm gonna be number 100+ in the queue & wound up enough already! Well unless it turns out to be an overseas site they have contracted then might go into full meltdown, as nice as they are the accent is difficult!

Bureaucracy in motion! I kinda understand there are bad people out there but surely over 30yrs paying other taxes & bills must count in the extra forms of identification & just not needing to jump through hoops - or you just check without me wasting time! RANT over!

phew!

It's enough to drive anyone crazy. Good luck!

When I get driven round the bend I go on Amazon and buy a book. Yeah, I have/had hundreds of them.

I've had id problems in the past. Similarly only have expired passport. Utility bills paid online and they don't like own prints of them. The annual pension notification can be useful but sometimes needs to be in last three months so useless for nine months of the year, similar for Council Tax bills. I only managed to open a Post Office account a few years ago because we had known the same postmaster for years and he certified the forms. Don't really have a solicitor only used to purchase this house 38 years ago. Need some advice from a fraudster, they seem to do it easily enough.

I assume they asked for a payment via letter, could you not send a letter with a cheque for money owed.

Good luck

I dread having to deal with any civil servant, they rarely actually serve and are rare civil, I told one once many years ago that their job was to serve the public, not harass them and that my taxes paid their wages, it shut her up and I got the service I sought.

Surprised that they asked for payment.Whenever I have owed them tax they have increased next years codes to take it back.

I would do what I always do bin it just ignore it if they start getting heavy say you thought it was a scam trying to get your bank details

Hi Snooky,

I don't want to do that, I want it gone & they have already increased the tax code to what it should be in their view & this is extra on top. I would prefer to just pay it. I'm not sure I'd trust them to reduce the code as quickly as they raised it. Easier for me to budget & have some money for frivolous or necessary spending when needed.

I didn't ring them, just did not have the spirit to do so. Will try next week.

Westi. Why not send a cheque registered post that has to be signed for.

Hmm! That's an option if talking fails but I wonder how long it will take to find the right department - & how long it will take them to credit me when it finally does find the right folk?

Westi - you have my profound sympathy but it's not just government websites. It's getting to be many other official websites ypu're registered with. I recently tried to sign up to a new patient website introduced by our local healthcare trust. I'm not very techie skilled and succeeded in locking myself out as part to getting myself registered.

. On contacting their Support team I was told I first had to supply a copyof my driving licence or passport photo ID and a copy of a recent utility bill. I've had to give up my driving licence and my passport is currently away being renewed and will probably not reappear this side of the end of the century!

And no damned office ever has a telephone number where you can ring up and speak to a real person to get help! No wonder people are queueing at their GP surgeries trying to get help for depression !

"Hmm! That's an option if talking fails but I wonder how long it will take to find the right department - & how long it will take them to credit me when it finally does find the right folk?"

Let it take as long as it wants you have done your duty of paying it, their problem if they cant find where it needs to go. Life is too short to worry about incompetence.

The trouble with incompetence Colin is that it,s often the innocent party who ends up suffering the ultimate consequences.