This will probably be the most boring topic on the forum but I need to ask the question because I have not idea of the answer.
So - I received a nice tax rebate from the UK in January (I arrived here in November) and the guy on the phone said to me I would need to fill out a tax return in April. I explained that I never earned enough in the UK to warrant filling in a tax return and asked why - to which his helpful response was 'because you do'.
Take into account that it didn't only take a lot longer than they stated to receive the money but the details of the payment made it look as though I owed them money. They also supplied the wrong contact number on their official form they sent through.

Anyhow - does anyone know why I would now need to fill out a return? The only thing I can think of is it's because of the rebate but just opening the form makes my heart sink...
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Gary

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[QUOTE=garyratchford;9326658]This will probably be the most boring topic on the forum but I need to ask the question because I have not idea of the answer.
So - I received a nice tax rebate from the UK in January (I arrived here in November) and the guy on the phone said to me I would need to fill out a tax return in April. I explained that I never earned enough in the UK to warrant filling in a tax return and asked why - to which his helpful response was 'because you do'.
Take into account that it didn't only take a lot longer than they stated to receive the money but the details of the payment made it look as though I owed them money. They also supplied the wrong contact number on their official form they sent through.

Anyhow - does anyone know why I would now need to fill out a return? The only thing I can think of is it's because of the rebate but just opening the form makes my heart sink...
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Gary

<snip>
Can't think of any reason why you'd need to do a tax return unless you still have property there or earn anything in the UK after getting the tax return through. People often ask on here about the return itself, but no-one has mentioned a tax return unless they still have UK income.

Who was the person on the phone and what were you talking to them about? I ask as most people apply for a tax rebate in writing. What do you mean it looked like you owed them something but you got a rebate?

I'd probably ignore what the chap said on the phone, but if you are asked in writing to fill in a tax return then you will need to fill in a tax return. Its actually not as hard as it looks, if your finances are uncomplicated and you just had income from employment then there are very few boxes to fill in.

Once HM Revenue has issued a Notice to Lodge a UK Tax Return you have to complete one, I'm afraid - particularly as from the 2011 Tax Return the automatic late filing penalty of £100 applies even if there is no tax outstanding at 31/01 following the end of the tax year.

Feel able to telephone me via our office in Brisbane if you'd like a brief chat to discuss: 07 3112 2925, or send me an email with your name and telephone number (click on my name to the left of this post).

Best regards.

Yes the UK 'Tax Man' does things like that - after two years of filling in tax returns which stated I earned nothing in the UK because I was not a resident, no assets or anything in the UK I finally got a letter saying I did not have to fill in a return - bless them. They do see the light eventually.

Mx

After 5 years (or was it 6) I managed to convince them that maybe they should let me go. They did tell me in the 1st year away that I no longer needed to do one. Unfortunately they owed me something like £1000 so I was definitely going to complete it that year. I owed nothing for all the following years but they still insisted that I did it. I even rang them and they told me that everyone had to do one. I proved that was not true but they were having none of it. Every year I filled in the comment section saying that they should let me go. It got more and more sarcastic as the years went on. (Had to get some enjoyment from the price of the stamp.)

Good luck mate.

I am in the same boat. I have just staggered my way through Form SA100, only to find that I also am required to complete "Residence, remittance basis Form SA109"..oh yes and then they need an Additional Information Form plus Foreign form....those were relatively straightforward if time consuming. The one I am struggling with is Form HS304.
The only income I have from the UK is my Teachers Pension and State Pension.
These forms have taken hours and hours.....I have had to do ones for my husband too!
Julie
PS Any advice on section 3b of from HS304 gratefully accepted.

Julie,

Is your pension income properly taxable in the UK - or wholly in Australia?

If the latter, exclude pension income from the UK return, and include a note in the white space on the tax return to explain that this is what you have done.

Also, is your UK pension income still suffering tax under PAYE in the UK? Should it in fact be paid tax free?

Best regards.

We left the UK in October, up until that point I was taxed on my Teachers Pension, but received my state pension nett. I completed all the forms once we arrived here, expecting to receive my Teachers Pension without tax being withheld from the time of our departure....but they refunded all the tax withheld for the year....so I assume they will want tax from April to October.

Question 3b.....I have received some bank interest on a UK account since October, which was taxed at source....but have become confused with the columns marked D and the next one marked D minus C. ( A I have put the gross interest, B I put 20%? C I put the amount I was taxed e.g. AxB - but from thereon in I have become confused...do I just repeat the figure that was in C...in which case D minus C becomes O which is not right? )
Julie

Thanks Julie.

Sounds like you are on the right track (assuming you are an Aus citizen or permanent resident), but I can't be certain without reviewing the tax returns.

Send me an email (click on my name to the left of this post) if you're interested in receiving a no obligation fee proposal.

Best regards.