O/T Tax Man

Author
Discussion

PetrolTed

Original Poster:

34,443 posts

309 months

Tuesday 6th August 2002
quotequote all
I used to have a job, paying a decent wage. I filled out tax returns and was never bothered. Now I'm self employed and earning a relative pittance the tax man decides to query my tax return. As if it isn't hard enough running your own business without the Inland Revenue making you spend several hours justifying a few hundred quid.

I'm off for a beer

dennisthemenace

15,605 posts

274 months

Tuesday 6th August 2002
quotequote all
Just off for a pint of the black stuff myself i need it after speaking to D&C police , Enjoy yer pint ted

Pinkney

1,010 posts

270 months

Tuesday 6th August 2002
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Bastards, the lot of 'em. One of the few downsides to running your own business.

National Insurance, Income Tax, Corporation Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Value Added Tax, Fuel Tax, Inheritance Tax, Tax on Tax and the accountant bills to keep track of all this.

Makes me .

What's worse it seems that the ones that play it by the book are the ones that get all the hassle from them, whilst all the others are living the easy life. Why!!?

philshort

8,293 posts

283 months

Tuesday 6th August 2002
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From experience Ted, don't argue. Pay them whatever they say you owe, its not worth arguing with them.

Dave_H

996 posts

289 months

Tuesday 6th August 2002
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I've just had the Inland Revenue try to fine me £100 for the late return of a form I'd never received - That was a fun 4 months of "Oh no I haven't" "Oh yes you have"

And all the while a dear old little Indian lady "Mrs Magwa" from the IR collection office (who wouldn't talk to the IR office that I was dealing with) kept ringing me to ask when I'm going to pay the fine "and it will double if you don't pay soon"

I finally proved my innocence, but it was a long hard slog

Ted, I feel for you mate, a similar story with my neighbour who runs a small garage business. They've recently picked on him. Yet there’s big corporations’ out there pulling all sorts of dodges.

Barstewards!

getcarter

29,587 posts

285 months

Tuesday 6th August 2002
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My accountant rang me this afternoon and his first words were "Are you sitting down" Did I get a bad feeling about that!

He then gave me an estimate as to how much I'd have to pay in tax next year.

I'm glad I sat down.

philshort

8,293 posts

283 months

Tuesday 6th August 2002
quotequote all
They tries that on me, I'd submitted a return through their web site and had the evidence to prove it. Not my fault their website can't cope with them having changed my tax reference, the return was filed under the only tax reference their system would recognise. They gave up - I think. Never too sure with those arseholes.

They started hounding me one time for an outstanding debt plus interest. I couldn't find the relevant demand, and queried it. Turned out the demand had been sent to an incorrect address 11 years previously, and they'd only just found it on their computer. It was only a few hundred so I coughed, but I ask you, who the hell else would get away with that sort of bollocks?

Dave_H

996 posts

289 months

Tuesday 6th August 2002
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They are Outrageously bad....

Tabs

985 posts

278 months

Tuesday 6th August 2002
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Wait til you have an investigation. 9 months of worry, to find out they owed me £1400 from 5 years previously! Accountant charged me £1250 to sort it all out.

Dazren

22,612 posts

267 months

Tuesday 6th August 2002
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A colleague had an investigation 3 years ago.

(This is a guy who in the eighties sold his business for well into seven figures. Instead of doing the bunk for 12 months he stayed in the UK and paid CGT on the full amount.)

Anyway, £14500 of accountants fees later it is established the Inland Revenue owed him £400. Of course the Revenue don't pay your accountants fees even when your innocent. So he was effectively shafted to the tune of £14100.

It doesn't seem right that murderers get lawyers to defend them free of charge. Yet tax payers get no assistance when the Inland Revenue has a go.

Another example of a ****ed up society.

DAZ

gnomesmith

2,458 posts

282 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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I love them, every time I send in my return they send me a cheque. I even had a phone call from a lovely lady in Cardiff who suggested that if I changed one of my figures to match information she had she would send me another £500.

Is it just my natural charm or do they just like Gnomes?

meerkat

164 posts

273 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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Ted wrote...

quote:
I'm off for a beer


Don't forget to get a receipt

MikeyT

16,865 posts

277 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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quote:

Ted wrote...

quote:
I'm off for a beer


Don't forget to get a receipt





Apparently you can't claim entertainment ...

Podie

46,643 posts

281 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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I'd put it down as a business expense!

I like the way you get a demand for £400... so begrudgingly write out a cheque... only to get a cheque back three months later for £400 as I've over paid... WTF?

MajorClanger

749 posts

276 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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quote:
Apparently you can't claim entertainment ...

...but you could claim for research!!

MC

Neil Menzies

5,167 posts

290 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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quote:

quote:
Ted wrote...
quote:
I'm off for a beer

Don't forget to get a receipt


Apparently you can't claim entertainment ...


The strange Gloucestershire Scotch Whisky called Sheep Dip was so called since the local farmers would put it through on their tax returns as '3 gallons of Sheep Dip'. The revenue caught on eventually...

Anyone fancy contributing to a startup brewery producing "IR35 advice" best bitter?

incorrigible

13,668 posts

267 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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Shureley beer counts as "fuel", how far can you go without it

Last year (while working for myself) I got a bit red letter from C&E saying pay up £2500 or we'll send the boys (balifs) round. What do you do, pay up of course. A month later along comes the VAT inspector asking me loads of questions, me looking sheepish, "ermm dunno, you'll have to speak to my accountant" being the standard answer.
After an hour or two looking through my papers she asked "why did you pay this ?" Something about them coming round and taking any arms or legs up the value of a made up number Turns out they'd made a mistake and I'd overpaid by £1500, took a year to sort out, company went to the wall, cheque came back payable to the company so took even longer to sort out.
Similar story, accountant sorted it out, left me with about £2.50

phil1

621 posts

288 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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Had the tax man aggresively hassling me for late payment. Got the red letter, was warned I had 7 days before the bailiffs turned up to claim belongings equivalent to the value requested. It would have been scary if the request hadn't been for 21p!!

miniman

26,086 posts

268 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
quotequote all
quote:


Apparently you can't claim entertainment ...



I believe that you can if you are entertaining foreign visitors. Any non-UK PHers out there???