HMRC

[Chrispy]

This may seem a very strange request but has anyone here tried to contact the taxman? As far as I can see it is now just about impossible.
Yes fine if you have a standard question just click the button and get a standard answer, but what happens when they make a mistake and you can't let them know?
No e-mail address.
Phone calls are answered by a robot and put on a endless queue.
Chat line closed
Facebook help line = joke
Letter post may or may not be dealt with in 14+ days.
The daft thing is is they won't take my money!!!! :roll:

 

[Noel]

You still can contact them Chris but as you say, sometimes you can end up in a long queue.
The thing to do is to identify which office deals with your particular aspect of the tax system and ring the office direct. Might be able assist if you get nowhere with that suggestion.

Other option is to send me the money and I can forward it to them, honest...... : )

 

[galleywood]

You should have the right phone number on your tax code advice letter.

 

[sunnybob]

If its a lot of money and theres a risk of a late payment penalty, try to find a bank with human staff and open a separate account with HMRC in the name somewhere and pay the money into that.
Then, further down the line, you can prove beyond any doubt that you have tried your best to pay and cant be accused of anything.

 

[sammy.se]

I've had to wait 30+ minutes before. You need to just wait...

 

[Noel]

I've a feeling no bank will allow an account with the letters HMRC anywhere near it these days...............I think "tax account" might be the only option.
But putting it in any account will not pass any kind of message to HMRC, least all "I tried to pay it".

 

[Steve Maskery]

HMRC - Aaaarrrggghhh!
It's been many years since I earned enough to have to pay income tax, but in a previous, wealthier but less happy life both my BXW and I were self-employed, she as a GP, me as an IT engineer.
In the first ten years of our marriage there was not ONE SINGLE YEAR when they got both of our tax affairs right, and some years they got both of us wrong. That despite us both having accountants preparing our returns for us, accurately.

When I was doing my Masters degree, there was one individual in our cohort who was by far and away the weakest of us. He really was not up to the task, indeed at least one of his essays was plagiarism. He was, however, the first of us to get a job afterwards. His employer? HMRC. Says it all really.
With apologies to anyone reading this and works for HMRC who is not like that.

 

[El Barto]

Spoken to them a fair few times and to be honest it's been quite painless...

 

[El Barto]

Until I've had to pay them of course.

 

[Cordy]

e

 

[thetyreman]

I have managed to get through on the phone but you just have to wait ages, they're pretty friendly once you get through from my experience.

 

[Chrispy]

Unfortunately it's the Vat branch of the circus that I need to speak to, submitted my return via their new make tax digital system which in the end was ok except they haven't drawn the tax owed as normal (DD) just show it as overdue.

 

[Noel]

In that case, cancel DD, pay it through your Gateway account.
Also have a number somewhere but out of office for a few hours.

 

[Chrispy]

35 minutes to find although I submitted my return in plenty of time they missed the cut off for DD, you think someone would have seen that and done something about it?

 

[Noel]

35 minutes to find although I submitted my return in plenty of time they missed the cut off for DD, you think someone would have seen that and done something about it?

Alas, it doesn't work that way. Computer says "Chris has not paid his VAT". Reasons or checking why not don't exist unless it's brought to their attention. In my experience the rundown of local HMRC offices and the mass redundancies of recent years has left the organisation broken. I know for a fact that people willingly pay little or no VAT and nobody chases them up. Inspections are a thing of the past.
You may get a auto generated letter saying you have failed to pay for your last quarter but it'll only be a reminder, not a fine, that usually comes with the next letter along with an assessment figure based on past declarations. But I've found that once you pay the penalties disappear.

In your case I'd cancel the DD as mentioned and just pay online once you've done your return and do that every return date, that means it done and dusted until the next quarter.

PS- I did have a direct number to a VAT office somewhere but can't find it at the moment.